Lost & Found
by GoodGodHenry
Summary: When a four year old genius is kidnapped, the BAU comes to the rescue.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** When a four year old genius is kidnapped, the BAU comes to the rescue.

 **Tags:** Child!Spencer, Child Spencer Reid, Not De-aged, Little Spencer is Adorable, kidnapping, fluff, family, adoption, step-parenting, not dark, happy ending.

A/N:

Hello Readers,

I wanted to try a young Spencer story with regular aged BAU Team.

This is an established Hotchniss/Hotly relationship set post Foyet/Doyle.

Enjoy,

GGH

~~~~~CM~~~~~

 **Chapter 1**

"Hotch, I have an request odd request from Vegas PD." JJ announced from his office door.

SSAIC Aaron Hotchner looked up from his report to see his media liaison turned profiler looking perplexed, "What's wrong?"

"A doctor at a mental health sanitarium reported a patient's husband and child missing. The police interviewed the woman and found her incoherent. Police did a welfare check and the home is empty. The lead detective says no signs of foul play but the doctor is convinced something is seriously wrong."

Aaron stood up, and gestured for JJ to come in, "Did you follow up with the doctor?"

They both sat down in the chairs near his desk, and she passed over the police report.

"I talked to Dr. Norman. He said the husband was very concerned about admitting her wife a few months ago. He ensured she had daily visitations with her son. They haven't been seen for two weeks." JJ filled him in. "Police said the father wasn't reported missing as he has no relatives; his employer is assuming he took time off. He started working from home after he committed his wife. He usually turns in his timesheet and paperwork once a week."

Glancing through the police report, Aaron asked, "Looks like Vegas PD did this by the book, nothing seemed out of place. When life is overwhelming, people leave, you know that. What concerns you?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "The lead detective feels like something is wrong but his hands are tied. The child is a genius. Dr. Norman says that he works with a private tutor at UNLV. I called her and she said it's not like them to miss a session, but they have missed four. She assumed they found another tutor and didn't inform her."

"Let's have Penelope run background check and look at their financials. Maybe something will pop up."

After tucking her blond hair behind her ears, JJ gathered up the case file and headed out of the office. A brunette crossed her at the door, the two agents smiled at each other.

Aaron's wife and fellow agent, Emily Prentiss, took JJ's empty seat, "She looked concerned about something. A new case?"

He gazed adoringly his new wife. She was wearing slim fitting slacks and suit jacket, her every day wear, but the way her hair was curling softly around her face and the color of her shirt highlighting her creamy skin made him sigh. 'She is so pretty,' he thought.

"Not sure, she has a possible missing father and son." Aaron leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly, "How are things in Trafficking?"

"You know, terrible. But I think I have a lead on the Thornton case."

Section Chief Strauss had looked the other way when they were dating, but when they set a date for the wedding, she informed them one of them would need to transfer units. The Human Trafficking Task Force needed an International Liaison to work with the varying agencies around the world.

It was a role custom build for Emily with her desire to spend more time at home with her new stepson, Jack; she was ready for an office job with reduced hours, clocking 32 hours a week. Emily was on week five of her new position and loving every minute of it.

Grinning at her husband, Emily said, "so I have a _Big Decision_ made: Baked Eggplant Parmesan for dinner."

Noting yet another attempt at healthy cooking, he rolled his eyes at her, "Sounds wonderful. I should be home by six if this doesn't turn into a case."

They chatted for a few minutes before she headed back to the second floor. He could still feel the tingle from where she ran her fingers along the back of his neck. Shaking the thoughts of her from his head, Aaron returned to writing reports.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Another three days went by before JJ and Penelope turned up enough evidence that proved the father and son were indeed missing. There was a lack of any financial transactions, phone calls, email activity, and finally with a little pressure (or sweet talk as JJ liked to call it), William Reid's employer filed a missing person report. Now, they had something to work with.

Aaron had JJ contact Vegas PD to notify them that the FBI believed William and Spencer Reid met with foul play 20 days prior. A few hours later, Detective Vargas notified them that a John Doe in the city morgue had been positively identified. William Reid had been murdered.

With this new information, Aaron jumped up from his seat and followed JJ to the conference room, collecting their team along the way. Penelope Garcia, their Tech Analyst, pulled up the case on the big screen.

Derek and Dave settled in with the case file, reading through the information. Dave leaned in, "Penelope, blow up the crime scene photo."

The victim, William Reid, had been shot in the head once and dumped in the desert at least two weeks ago. His body had been discovered three days ago by kids on dirt bikes.

"It's an execution. The unsub didn't have any emotional attachment to this guy. They probably just wanted the boy." Derek speculated.

Penelope clicked on a photograph of a four year old boy in glasses too big for his face, "Look at this cutie pie. All that hair! I hope he's okay."

Taking over, JJ scrolled through the case information, "Four year old Spencer Reid hasn't been seen since his last visit with his mother at Bennington Sanitarium, 20 days ago. He is not enrolled in preschool but he goes to a tutor two days a week. He is a genius with an IQ too high to measure for his age group. Best guess is over 140."

"Has the mom been interviewed?" Dave inquired.

"She is a paranoid schizophrenic. William Reid had her committed three months ago. She grew frantic when her husband and son didn't visit for several days. When the police tried to interview her, she had a severe episode. Dr. Norman says they have to keep her sedated." JJ told the team.

Shaking her head, Penelope asked,"This poor kid has been missing for so long. What are his chances of being alive?"

Derek reached across the table and patted her arm, "Mama, I think he's alive. There is no reason to kill him since no one looking for him."

Closing his file folder, Aaron stood, "We should approach this as quietly as possible. Let the unsub think he got away with it." Heading out of the conference room, he called over his shoulder, "Wheels up in thirty minutes."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Have you ever made Baked Eggplant Parmesan? Our family's attempt turned out poorly. The eggplant never cooked through and in hopes of saving the meal, we cooked it longer and burnt the cheese & sauce. We are firmly back in the fried Eggplant Parmesan camp.

I'm on Tumblr as GoodGodHenry if you want to chat!


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron and Dave were sitting in the front of the jet, waiting for takeoff while JJ and Derek were in the back making coffee and arguing over snacks.

"Hi Jack!" Aaron spoke quietly into his phone. "Yes, Emily said you are doing great on your project. Hmm? I bet that's hard. Okay. I love you, buddy." The normally stoic man couldn't help but smile as he hung up a few minutes later.

"Things are going well?" Dave inquired.

Nodding, Aaron swiped through photographs before he handed his phone to Dave, "Jack had to build an igloo using only sugar cubes for school. He got stuck with the roof."

Dave laughed at the photo of a squarish igloo without a dome, "That's funny. How is Emily? Any headway with the baby stuff?"

"We made the decision to adopt. Emily is looking at agencies, trying to narrow it down. I had no idea they were specialized. I thought it would be either private adoption or through local social services." Aaron filled Dave in on their struggle to add to their family. "We are both leaning to foster to adopt with social services."

Aaron had always wanted a large family, and Emily's desire for children made it pretty clear; they both wanted to add to their family. Doyle's attack on Emily led to a hysterectomy, leaving them with two choices; surrogacy or adoption. They had agreed that adoption was the best option for them.

JJ and Morgan handed out cups of coffee as the plane began to taxi.

"Let's review the case again." Aaron led the team into victimology.

As they landed, he handed out their assignments, "Dave, Derek, I need you to interview Reid's employer and then head to the sanitarium to speak with Dr. Norman. He will know if Diana Reid is up for a interview. JJ, you and I will set up at the police station and bring the tutor in for an interview."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron enjoyed teaming up with JJ. While she hadn't become a profiler in the traditional way, she was a natural. She set up the board at the station, involving the detective in every step of the way. This was quite a refreshing change as Aaron had a tendency to butt heads with the locals.

He had her take the lead with the little boy's tutor, standing on the other side of the observational glass mirror. The tutor painted a picture of a smart articulate boy, devoted to his mother, and uncomfortable with his father.

"Mr. Reid wasn't mean or anything. He just didn't understand Spence. He wanted him to be a little kid, join the t-ball team, stuff like that. I never met Mrs. Reid but I could tell her influence was strong. They read together, mostly 15th and 16th century literature."

JJ leaned forward, her eyebrows knitting together, "He's four?"

The college student smiled, "I know, but he could read just about anything and he has an eidetic memory so he memorizes everything. He struggles with comprehension of emotions so his father and I decided to introduce him to some age appropriate fiction."

"Did anyone else work with him?"

The girl shook her head in the negative, "No, private sessions. Mr. Reid usually worked on his laptop in the corner while Spence and I went over the lessons."

Seeing a flash of something in the girl's eyes, JJ asked, "You just remembered something."

"Um, yeah. There was this creeper professor. Our tutoring sessions are in the common room of the department. Dr. Franks was passing by once and he stopped to observe when we were learning about astronomy. He mentioned wanted to monitor brain waves as new information was absorbed. The way he said it…" The girl trailed off.

"I want to try something. Can you close your eyes, Anna?" JJ waited for the girl to settle back in her chair and shut her eyes. "Do you remember the room? Was Spencer sitting with you? His dad typing away on his computer. Dr. Franks came in. What did he say that made you uncomfortable?" JJ asked, her voice soft and measured.

"He said he wanted to watch the neuron receptors light up. But the way he said it, like he wanted to open Spencer's brain and look inside. The room was tense for a minute then Mr. Reid said it was time to go."

Anna stood up and began to pace in the small interrogation room, "Oh my God, do you think Dr. Franks kidnapped Spencer? Do you think he hurt him?"

JJ reached out and gently stopped the girl's erratic movements, "We don't know anything yet. We are just trying to get to learn more about Spencer and his father."

Sinking into her chair, Anna twirled her fingers in her long brown hair, "Spencer is a sweet little boy. He's so polite and very respectful. He loves his mom more than anything. Please find him."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"What have you got?" Aaron asked the team gathered around the conference room table, facing the video call on the laptop.

Derek reported the autopsy was straightforward, "Single gunshot to the head. No signs of struggle from Mr. Reid."

"Forensics did a sweep of the house and found some blood spatter in the entryway of the Reid home. Blood type matches Mr. Reid, waiting on DNA analysis," Aaron informed the team.

"Anything from Dr. Norman or Mrs. Reid?" JJ asked.

"Nope," Derek stated, "Mrs. Reid was hysterical about agents of the government trying to steal her thoughts. Dr. Norman reiterated what he had told you; there is no way Mr. Reid would keep Spencer away from his mother."

Penelope spoke up from the video link, "Um, if the mom has such terrible episodes, how does the little boy handle it?"

"Dr. Norman said he was concerned about that at first but they had a special relationship. If she was lucid, all was fine. If she wasn't, Spencer played along her delusions."

Dave continued where Derek had left off, "The boy was so calm and patient with her that Dr. Norman asked his orderlies and nurses to observe the interactions. He said it was great learning experience for his staff."

"What a darling boy," Penelope sighed.

After JJ reported the observations of the tutor, and Penelope jumped in with her findings, "Dr. Franks is a guest lecturer at UNLV. He's been bouncing from college to college over the last ten years or so. All over the world. Get this, he has published several papers on child prodigies."

"I think that's enough to get us a search warrant." Aaron announced.

"His work and home addresses have been sent to you." Penelope ordered, "Go find that sweet little boy."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: The Igloo out of sugar cubes was a project my daughter had in 1st grade. I am unsure of the educational reasoning for the project (to teach kids to follow directions? To be creative?) but she had so much fun.

Come say Hi on Tumblr: GoodGodHenry


	3. Chapter 3

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"I recommend a soft entry." Derek addressed the police officers gathered around him. They were set up a full block away from the Franks' residence, "If we can get the kids out first, we can take Dr. Franks down cleanly."

They had detected five heat signatures in the home. One large adult upstairs, and four small children in garden level basement. Aaron, JJ, and the two local officers were going to get the children, before Derek, Dave, and the lead detective would enter the house.

Sucking in a breath, Aaron hoped the children were unharmed as they quietly opened the outside gate. Creeping around the back of the house, he looked around. The sliding glass doors were locked with a wooden stick in the door frame, simple but effective. The window however had a flimsy lock.

Wedging the window open, Aaron climbed through into a large open room. The house was eerily silent. Turning around, he removed the broomstick handle from the sliding glass doors and opened the door for the others.

Taking careful and measured steps, he approached a plain wooden door at the far end of the basement. Aaron twisted the the deadbolt and opened the door, his gun pointing to the floor.

Three boys and a girl were sitting on a futon, each reading a book. They looked up with large frightened eyes. They seemed uninjured from what he could tell, just scared little kids ranging in age from four to what looked to be about eight years old. Relieved, Aaron saw Spencer wedged in between the two older boys.

"It's okay, you are safe. I am with the police." Aaron modulated his voice to be as gentle as he could as he holstered his gun. He reached out for Spencer, and the little boy scrambled into his arms. Aaron held small boy tightly, his fears were finally alleviated.

The children stood up quietly and placed the books on the shelf, moving as if they were on auto pilot. JJ slid into the room behind Aaron, and the little girl ran to her. The other two boys walked slowly towards them.

"Let's head out quietly," JJ told the children but they looked at her with confused expressions.

Spencer Reid held up his fingers to his mouth and said, "Shhh!"

The children nodded and followed JJ and Aaron out of the room. The two local officers picked up the older boys and the group left the basement swiftly through the backyard.

With the children secured safely in the nearby police cars, Aaron gave the order. Derek, Dave, and the locals stormed the house. The sound of an explosion was heard as flames shot through the upstairs windows.

Despite being half a block away and inside the SUV, Aaron turned and covered the little boy's body with his own, shielding him. A moment later, Aaron found that he couldn't untangle Spencer from his arms; the boy held on tighter at the sounds of exploding glass.

"It's going to be okay," Aaron whispered as he hoped Derek and Dave were unhurt.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

It was a tense minute before the crackle of the earbud turned into Dave's voice, "Unsub blew himself up. Everyone got out in time, superficial wounds."

"Thank God!" JJ exclaimed.

Ambulances arrived behind the fire trucks. The EMTs busied themselves with the children minus Spencer.

Aaron kept the boy on his hip as he called Penelope, "Garcia, we recovered four children. All seem uninjured. Yes, Spencer is here with me now. He's okay." He paused as she squealed about a sweet little love muffin. "Focus, please. There are two boys and a girl here; all under 10. How did we not know there were other missing children?"

Spencer spoke up, surprising both the stoic agent and the tech analyst on the phone, "The children are from other countries. Amber Alerts wouldn't be issued in Las Vegas."

"Do you know their names? Where they are from?" Aaron asked him gently.

"Yes, sir. Tarek, age 8,, from Turkey. Frederick, age 6, from Germany, and Amara is from Spain, I didn't see her file so I don't have her age. We all have high IQs, that's why he wanted us."

Despite the numerous times people mentioned the four year old's intelligence, Aaron was still shocked by his vocabulary, and sentence structure. The boy was better spoken than his own six year old son, hell, he spoke better than some adults Aaron knew.

Aaron placed the boy on the hood of the SUV and put the phone on speaker mode, "Garcia, did you get all that?"

"Yes, sir. Hi Spencer! My name is Penelope."

"Penelope is the name of Odysseus' wife in the Odyssey by Homer."

A happy laugh came through the speaker, "Do you like adventure stories, Spencer?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Despite the circumstances, Aaron couldn't help but smile at the interaction between the small boy and Penelope over the phone. He let the conversation continue at he watched Derek escort an injured police officer to the EMTs for treatment before he ambled over.

"Hey little man! You talking to my friend, Penelope?" Derek asked the boy holding his boss' phone.

Nodding shyly, "Yes, sir." Spencer whispered.

"Spence, did you know that Derek is my best friend? He's super duper nice."

They spoke for another minute, until Aaron interrupted, "Penelope, I think it's time for the paramedics to check to see if Spencer _or_ Derek have any injuries."

"Good idea, Bossman! Spencer, can you make sure that Derek gets bandaids for his ouchies?"

The little boy held out his arms, indicating he wanted to be picked up by Aaron.

"Bye, Mama. I'll call you later," Derek shouted into the phone as he followed his supervisor's brisk pace to the nearest ambulance.

A quick check up by the EMTs left Derek with five stitches and Spencer with a colorful bandaid on an old scrape on his knee, well in the process of healing.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: So what do you think? Isn't Spencer the sweetest thing?


	4. Chapter 4

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Dr. Ajam checked Spencer last out of all the children as the young boy wouldn't let go of Aaron. In fact, he had to be examined while in the FBI Agent's lap.

"The children are in good condition, healthy with no injuries. No signs of physical abuse, malnutrition, or dehydration. However even with the limited communication, I can tell you that they are suffering from psychological trauma," the doctor told Aaron after finishing up with Spencer's physical exam.

Spencer nodded as the doctor spoke, confirming they were not physically injured, "Dr. Franks was intimidating and he had a lot of rules."

The little boy continued, explaining that they had been fed three organic meals per day, superfood smoothies each afternoon, and drank a minimum of 80 ounces of water throughout the day. The other boys had their immunizations and neither had food allergies. The four year old told them that he didn't know about Amara but as far as he could tell she didn't have common food allergies such as to dairy, strawberries, or peanuts.

Aaron smirked as the doctor's eyebrows went so far up, they disappeared beneath his bangs.

JJ knocked on the door, she came in and gave her update. Between the police station and the hospital, they were trying for find translators for the children so they could get their information and statements.

As she listed the children's names, Spencer piped up with the boys' full names, ages, addresses and occupations of the boys' parents.

"How did you do that?" The doctor asked as he handed the boy a red lollipop.

Leaning forward out of Aaron's arms, Spencer took the lolly, "I have an eidetic memory. I can recall everything I read in perfect clarity."

Excusing himself, Dr. Ajam left the room muttering 'perfect clarity' under his breath.

"Spencer, I need to make a phone call. In private. Do you think Miss JJ can stay with you? I will stand in the hallway, and you can watch me through the glass."

Leveling his hazel eyes at Aaron, the little boy assessed the older man before finally nodding. Spencer climbed out of Aaron's lap onto the exam table, glancing shyly at JJ.

"Hi Spencer. I have a little boy named Henry. He is four just like you. He loves dinosaurs and cars."

Aaron stepped out as JJ engaged the boy in conversation, and made his call while facing the glass. He gave Spencer a smile as Emily answered.

"Em, we need you in Vegas."

His wife chuckled, "Do you need my card counting skills? Or do you want to get hitched? Oh wait, we are already married."

"Sorry, babe. I have three kidnapped children from other countries. We need to work with the State Department on this."

Her voice changed, her tone professional and crisp. "Have Pen email me the details, I will notify the task force and get with the State Department. I'll call Jess to watch Jack. How did this happen?"

Aaron wanted to pace the long hospital hallway but he was well aware of Spencer's eyes locked on him, "We went in for a local missing child, and ended up with four kids. I can't wait for you to meet one of the children, Spencer. He's four and has pretty much guided the entire case from the rescue to identifying the children."

"That's crazy! He's four?"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

After reviewing the notes from Penelope, Emily called her new boss, Andi Swan, and filled her in on the case. She ran around the bedroom trying to pack a go bag. She was barely a month out of the BAU and she had gotten out of the habit of having that at the ready.

Next call was to Jessica, Aaron's sister in law, to arrange Jack's pick up from school, keeping him for a few nights. The awkwardness Emily had expected when she started dating Aaron was not there. Jess had pulled her aside and simply said, "Aaron and Jack are a package deal. Treat them right and we won't have problems." Now, Emily considered Jess to be one of her closest friends, even confiding in her about their infertility problems.

Emily called her mother's personal assistant and while they made small talk, a private plane with two State Department representatives was arranged.

"You know, you'll have to talk to her," Joan said. "She has a conference call in ten minutes so she can't stay on the phone that long."

Grumbling, Emily agreed to be patched through to the Ambassador, "Hello, Mother."

A few hours later, Emily and the State Department reps had flown into Vegas. Her mother would be flying the next day. The two men spent the flight on a video conference call with Penelope identifying the proper authorities in each country. Confident in their ability to notify the police in the home countries of the children's recovery, Emily was able to leave Boring Thing I and Boring Thing II (as Penelope dubbed them) at the police station and meet Aaron at the hospital.

She arrived to find the children settled into a large break room with JJ and Aaron. They were eating and interacting with each other using sign language and broken mash up of different languages.

Seeing the tiny boy, with shaggy brown hair and giant glasses, directing the older children from her husband's lap, tugged at her heart.

Joining the children in conversation, Emily sat between JJ and Tarik. A few words in Turkish, earned her a smile. She followed with German and Spanish greetings and introductions were completed, and she turned to Spencer.

"Hello Spencer. My name is Emily."

"It's nice to meet you, Ma'am." The boy answered, he looked at Aaron for permission before he continued, "How did you learn to speak different languages?"

"I started learning new languages when I was your age. I lived in many different places so it was easier since everyone around me already spoke the language."

JJ set up coloring books and crayons at the next table and sat down. Amara joined her, climbing into her lap, they colored together. Emily was impressed with how they bonded without talking.

Emily saw tears well up in Frederick's eyes as he glanced at the other table and back at Aaron and Spencer.

"Komm her Frederick." Emily opened her arms, and the boy came around the table and allowed her to hug him. She settled him in the chair next to her, and placed her arm around him, "Es ist okay."

She kissed his forehead before turning to Tarik, and putting other her arm around him. "It's okay."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: "Komm her" is German for Come here (Big thanks to reader on AO3 for helping since Google Translate isn't perfect.)


	5. Chapter 5

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron's phone rang, he shifted to the side and he tried to pull his mobile from his pocket with Spencer sitting on his lap. After struggling for several rings, he placed the boy on the ground as he answered the phone. Spencer wrapped his arms around Aaron's legs and held on tight.

Giving up, he bent down and picked up Spencer as he chatted on the phone with Morgan. After confirming that the children would not be turned over to local social services, they arranged to use a nearby rental house until the parents could be flown in to be reunited with their children.

Pacing, with a child on his hip, Aaron called Dave for an update. It was grim, the forensics team had found the remains of two children buried in the backyard. The unsub, Dr. Franks, had destroyed any computer and paper files in the explosion. This left the team with questions on how he abducted and then transported the children into the United States.

Sighing, Aaron complained to Emily, "No evidence left. Nothing to indicate what his intentions were…"

Piping up, Spencer's little voice filled them in, "He wanted to study our brains. He monitored our brain waves, had us learn things. He said it wasn't just genetics but environment as well."

"Thank you, sweetheart. You have been so helpful." Emily told the boy who ducked his head into Aaron's shoulder, mumbling, "you're welcome," under his breath.

Gazing at his wife, he could tell she wanted to say something along the lines of 'so cute' but she held it together. He also knew as she reached for her phone that the next call would be to Penelope and there will be plenty of high pitched squealing after she walked away.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

As the children had no physical injuries, they were discharged from the hospital. Under the watchful eye of Janine Banner, the Director of Nevada's Division of Child and Family Services, Aaron wrestled four booster seats into the two back rows of the SUV. He was thankful for the approval to take custody of the children rather than watch them be separated. When he crawled out of the third row of the vehicle, he told her so.

"This is a highly unusual situation. The children are considered under protective status so we were able to authorize this. I have to say it helps that you, Agent Prentiss, and Agent Jarreau are parents. More importantly, though, I think that Agent's Prentiss' language skills have gone a long way in making the children feel comfortable."

Aaron told her, "Agent Prentiss' skills are unparalleled."

Janine replied seriously, "I have a feeling that you would have said that even if she wasn't your wife."

Turning to see the children wheeled out by a nurses and FBI agents, Aaron allowed a small smile to escape as he answered her. "That is quite accurate."

JJ and Aaron escorted the children to a large suburban home on the outskirts of Las Vegas. The six bedroom home would serve in lieu of a hotel for the FBI agents and foster homes for the children. Two of the bedrooms were outfitted with bunk beds for the children but once they arrived at the sprawling home, the children indicated they wanted to stay together.

"Hotch, we have to feed everyone. There nine of us. We can't feed the children takeout day after day." JJ's eyes were big as she stared at the gourmet kitchen, her hand caressing the stainless steel commercial stove.

Shaking his head, Aaron called Dave, the BAU's resident chef. He was finishing up at the police station and offered to head to the grocery store.

Aaron was thankful that Penelope wasn't onsite with them for this case. Between her desire to help and her vegetarian lifestyle, he was glad to be skipping the fake meat-like substitutes she insisted tasted exactly the same.

"JJ, between all of us, I'm sure we can cook a meal or two. How about pizza for dinner since we will have our hands full tonight?"

After several texts from Aaron, Emily had decimated the local big box store of children's clothes, toys, movies, and sleeping bags courtesy of the State Department budget. Derek headed to a nearby electronics store, where Penelope had pre-ordered tablets for each of the kids. She had an employee pre-install translation apps and children's games.

Emily and Derek arrived at the home at the same time. She hopped out of the rental car with three bags in each hand. "Derek, I need your muscles over here."

Walking over, his eyes grew as she popped the packed trunk of the sedan. "Princess, you need a whole army to unload your car." Derek as he grabbed bag after bag.

The kids screeched happily as Emily held up toys and puzzles. They dove into the bags and pulled everything out, tossing the clothing to the side.

Aaron shook his head in disbelief at the chaotic scene before him; it was exactly like Christmas with Jack.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Dave drove up to the house at the same time as the pizza delivery man. Six pizzas, two family size salads, and three orders of breadsticks were no match for the amount of groceries Dave had bought.

Derek and JJ helped Dave put away groceries as Aaron and Emily plated dinner for the children.

Spencer pushed the tomatoes away and Amara piled her plate with breadsticks. Frederick was sneaking the tomatoes off Spencer's plate as Tarik shoveled pizza into his mouth like it was the best thing he had ever eaten.

"What's next?' Dave asked the group after everyone had finished dinner.

"Baths and pjs for the kids. I was thinking they could bunk in the living room with a movie on." JJ spoke as she wiped marinara sauce off of Tarik's face.

Aaron laughed for the first time since the case began, "I think he meant with the case. I have a conference call with Strauss. Dave, you and Derek review the background check on Franks with Penelope. Emily continue with the reuniting the families. JJ, I need you to come up with a joint media strategy with the State Department before the story leaks to the press."

"How about we get the kids settled first?" Emily said, "My call with State isn't for another hour."

"You don't need Derek or I for this. We'll work in the study." Dave and Derek disappeared as Emily explained to the children it was time for a bath in as many languages as she could think of before miming shampooing of hair.

The children giggled at her actions, and followed her and JJ upstairs.

Spencer tugged on Aaron's hand, "Stay with me."

Squatting down, Aaron spoke softly, "Buddy, I have to make a phone call to my boss. How about you take a shower while l make my call? We can meet down here in 30 minutes."

"But I want to stay with you."

The boy's big hazel eyes welled up, and his lower lip jutted out. Aaron sighed, this kid was just as bad as Jack at tugging at his heartstrings.

"How about you go get everything ready with Miss JJ and Miss Emily and I'll come up and help you in 15 minutes?"

Spencer nodded and headed up the stairs, "900 seconds until you come up."

Aaron pulled out his phone and dialed Strauss' direct line as it suddenly occurred to him the little boy had calculated how many seconds are in 15 minutes.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron took over JJ's supervision of tooth brushing as Strauss wanted to discuss the media strategy with her. Spencer finished brushing first and attached himself firmly to Aaron's leg, leaving wet handprints on his dress pants.

A few minutes later Derek appeared, "Princess, State Department is now on the line with Strauss. JJ asked that I send you down."

Emily looked up from combing out Amara's hair, "Her hair is in tangles."

Flashing a smile, Derek informed them, "I can do it. I use to do my sister's hair all the time."

Handing over the comb, Emily explained the situation in Spanish to the little girl, who looked at Derek doubtfully.

By the time the kids were heading downstairs to watch Fantasia, Amara was completely in enamored with the large FBI agent carrying her on his shoulders.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: I was trying to find a Disney movie that didn't have much dialogue since not all the kids speak the same language. The only one I could think of was Fantasia.

I'm on Tumblr, come over and chat: GoodGodHenry


	6. Chapter 6

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Expecting the children to be sleepy after the movie, the adults were surprised as all four of them still had energy to burn.

Derek and the children turned the family room into a playroom. They worked together hanging sheets, rearranging furniture, and laying out sleeping bags. Within twenty minutes, the bland room was a giant colorful blanket fort.

Dave worked with Amara and Spencer to solve a 1,000 piece puzzle on the coffee table while Frederick and Tarik built a large Lego structure with Derek.

Aaron sat close by, per Spencer's instructions, and typed away on his laptop. Emily came into the room and joined him on the couch.

"I have good news. State department is setting up video chats for the parents while we figure out visas. First call should be in twenty minutes."

"That's great." Closing his laptop, he put his arm around her. "The kids love the toys. You treated them like children, not geniuses."

Emily kissed his cheek, and laid her head on his shoulder. They cuddled for a moment before Spencer climbed into Aaron's lap.

"Hi Spencer." Emily smiled at the little boy.

He burrowed in closer to Aaron, displacing Emily's hold. The adults exchanged a concerned look before Aaron asked, "Spencer, are you okay?"

"My mom won't want to do a video chat. She is afraid of technology."

'Oh God!' Emily thought to herself, 'I didn't even think about Spencer's Mom.'

Aaron pulled the boy from his chest, and gently lifted his chin so he could see his eyes. "I was thinking we could visit your mom tomorrow. Dr. Norman said it would be okay. I do have to warn you, she hasn't been well since you've been gone."

Tears flowed from the boy's eyes, and Emily felt her heart clench. 'Of course, Aaron already thought about Spencer and made arrangements.'

"I can calm her down but you can't tell her that my dad is dead," he whispered, his little voice breaking as he spoke of his father.

"Oh baby," Emily said as she rubbed Spencer's back. "I'm so sorry."

Spencer leaned toward Emily and she pulled him into a tight hug.

Aaron wrapped his arms around both of them as the four year old sobbed.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

JJ and Dave helped the older children with their video calls to their parents. It was truly a beautiful sight. After the tears, assurances were made. Most of the parents spoke English, and thanked the agents for helping find their children. Amara left in the middle of her call, and returned with Derek. He smiled sheepishly as the girl introduced him to her parents.

It was middle of the night when the children finally crawled into their sleeping bags, each armed with a stuffed animal, and fell asleep happily knowing that they one day closer to seeing their families.

The agents gathered around, watching over the children. "It doesn't get better than this," Dave stated.

Aaron and Emily decided to sleep on the couches near the children. Aaron headed upstairs to grab blankets and pillows, running straight into a team meeting in the hallway.

JJ was the only one who had the decency to look guilty when he raised an eyebrow at them.

"Hotch, I'm, we, um, well…" She trailed off.

Ducking his head towards the master bedroom, they followed him in. He sat down on the bed and waited expectantly as the team surrounded him.

"Spencer. We think you and Emily should adopt him." Never one to hold back, Dave spoke for the group.

"His mom is in no condition," Derek started before JJ interrupted him, "They don't have any family. You can't let him go into foster care."

Scrubbing his hands over his face, Aaron exhaled heavily. "Any other life decisions you want to make for me?"

"He's special," JJ started but he held up his hand to stop her.

"All kids are special, JJ. I know what you mean though. Spencer is amazing but I can't discuss this with you. Any of you. If there are family decisions that need to be made, then Emily and I need to be the ones making them."

Looking defeated, Derek nodded, "Come on, JJ. Do you want the plaid room or the one with stripes? We can put Rossi in the flower explosion room."

Dave sat down next to Aaron, "You know it's the right thing for you and for Spencer."

"We just decided on adoption last week. We haven't even told Jack yet and you think we'll just come home with an extra kid."

"Didn't say it was going to be easy. That boy, I don't know, he belongs to you as much as you belong to him." Dave said sagely.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron returned to the family room with his arms full blankets and pillows to find Spencer asleep in Emily's arms. "Stupid profilers," he muttered under his breath.

"Let me guess? They ambushed you upstairs." Emily whispered as she rubbed Spencer's back.

"They think we should adopt Spencer."

Nodding, Emily smiled serenely, "I am thinking that too."

Pacing the length of the couch, he groaned, "You can't just adopt a kid. This is an active case. His mother is here in Nevada and we live in Virginia."

"Aaron, we will figure it out. I was thinking I could stay here after the case concludes. I can work remotely until we…"

Bending down over her, Aaron captured her mouth in a soft kiss, "When did you start thinking about this?"

"When I saw him in your lap at the hospital. It's just like seeing you with Jack. It's like you belong together."

"That's the same word Dave used. Belong."

Unfolding the blanket, Aaron tucked Spencer and Emily in on the couch and headed to the other couch. He stared at the ceiling with his mind racing.

"I think no matter the outcome, adoption or not, you and Spencer have a connection, a bond."

"Let's see what the next few days bring," Aaron said as he watched his wife card her hand through Spencer's hair.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. I can't express my appreciation enough!


	7. Chapter 7

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The next morning, Aaron and Emily wanted to take Spencer to visit his mother before their rental home was set upon by visitors. Emily's mother, Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss, was flying in with her counterparts from various embassies.

Dave assured them he could handle feeding the other children if Derek and JJ agreed to entertain them. Bagels with cream cheese were pressed into their hands as Dave pushed them out the door.

Buckled into a booster seat, the little boy beamed at them from the back seat. Emily reached back and wiped his face with a napkin. "Your smile could power this whole city."

This sent the tiny genius into lecture mode, explaining how electricity is generated for the entire ride to Bennington Sanitarium.

Aaron helped Spencer climb out of the tall SUV as an older man in a white lab coat approached them in the parking lot.

"Spencer, I am so happy to see you."

"Hi, Dr. Norman. Mr. Aaron says you are the reason the police were looking for me. He said you saved me." Spencer said as he held out his hand to shake.

Ignoring the outstretched hand, Dr. Norman picked up the boy and crushed him into a hug. A minute later, he handed the Spencer to Aaron and turned his back on the group, trying to wipe tears from his eyes.

"All right, Young Master Reid, it's time to see your momma." The doctor said as he led the way into the building.

"How is Mrs. Reid doing?" Emily asked.

Shaking his head, Dr Norman filled them in, "She has been in the throes of a terrible episode for weeks. We had to increase her medication as well as sedate her a few times. Spencer, when Agent Hotchner called yesterday, I weaned her down on the antipsychotics and when she was lucid, I explained what happened. She can't wait to see you."

Spencer wiggled in Aaron's arms until he was released. The boy snaked around the front desk and through the hallway until he disappeared from sight.

The adults caught up with him in Diana Reid's bedroom. They all stood along the wall, taking in the scene before them.

The mother-child reunion was heartbreaking. The tall thin blond woman had wrapped her arms and legs around her son as they cried together on the linoleum floor.

Overcome with emotion, Emily turned away, muffling her sobs into Aaron's chest as he held her tight, blinking away his own tears.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"My Spencer tells me that you saved his life, Agent Hotchner. I thank you."

"Mrs. Reid." Aaron ducked his head.

They were sitting in the dayroom, Spencer was bouncing on the couch in excitement. He had filled his mother in on the ordeal over the last several hours. "And Ms. Emily got me an Asian elephant stuffed animal. Mr. Aaron lets me stay with him even when he has to work."

"Spencer, I am getting hungry. Can you please take Ms. Emily to the cafeteria and pick out some snacks?

The boy literally bounced off the couch and grabbed Emily's hand to pull her up. As they rounded the corner, Mrs. Reid lit up a cigarette and locked eyes on Aaron.

"My husband is dead?" She asked, her voice brooked no hesitation.

She had been quite lucid for their entire visit and despite the warning from Dr. Norman, Aaron had to be honest with her. "Yes, ma'am."

She exhaled the smoke slowly and blinked away tears. Aaron crossed the room to sit next to her, "Spencer knows; he was concerned about telling you."

Nodding sadly, she spoke quietly, "He's much too old for being such a young child. I have been declared non-compos mentis. He will end up in the foster care system."

"Do you have any relatives or friends that could take him in?"

"No."

With that simple declaration, Aaron felt hopeful, "Mrs. Reid,"

"Please call me Diana," She inhaled again, holding the smoke for a while before blowing it out.

"Diana, about Spencer." He started again, "Emily and I…"

He had trailed off again, lost for words. How does one ask if they could adopt someone else's child?

"Emily is your wife?" Diana asked, her eyes locked on his, "And you would like to take Spencer in?"

Aaron felt his face flush, "Yes, Emily and I are married. We have a six year old son, Jack." He paused, "I am aware of the psychological significance of rescuing him. Spencer has been quite attached to me since we found him. Transference is typical in these situations."

She leaned in, "My Spencer is emotionally immature but a mother knows what he needs. He needs a family who will care for him and nurture him."

"We live in Virginia." Aaron blurted out, "He needs you just as much as you need him. I couldn't take him away from you."

Chuckling at the flustered man, Diana patted Aaron's knee, "If you are serious about this, I will transfer to a sanitarium in Virginia."

Releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Aaron felt the tension loosen in his shoulders, "Oh."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Dr. Norman returned with Emily and Spencer. All three were carrying trays of muffins, fruits, juices, and milk.

"Momma, did you smoke?"

"Sorry, Spencer."

"It's okay, Momma. I know it helps since your medication schedule was interrupted."

Aaron glanced at Emily, silently communicating, 'This conversation needed to wait until little ears weren't listening' as they usually did around Jack. Emily busied herself passing out snacks.

"Mrs. Reid, Spencer told me you are a literature professor."

Their passion for the written word occupied the women as Spencer shoveled muffins into his mouth, leaving blueberry stains smeared across his face.

Aaron tapped Dr. Norman on the arm and tipped his head towards the door.

"Mrs. Reid is aware that her husband is dead. She asked me directly and I didn't want to lie."

"She's sharp." Dr. Norman said, "She will probably have a delayed reaction."

"I will make arrangements for a funeral. Do you think she can attend?"

"Honestly, Agent Hotchner, it's day to day. Sometimes hour to hour. I will adjust my schedule and accompany her."

Sighing, Aaron leaned against the wall in the hallway, "I don't want Spencer in foster care. Diana said she has been declared unfit by the state." He paused, Dr Norman nodded in confirmation, and said quietly, "Emily and I would like to take him."

"I see," the older man said, "while it is a better option than foster care, don't you live out of state?"

"Virginia. It's not ideal; we don't even know if Social Services will approve. I did discuss this with Diana and she was open to the idea. She even suggested that she would move to a sanitarium in Virginia."

The doctor was lost in thought, after a couple of minutes, he finally spoke, "Well, then. Let me look into this. I have a contact with Social Services and I will research some facilities on the east coast."

The men shook hands and returned to the dayroom, watching the two women doting over Spencer; his mother and a woman who wanted to be.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: All my mental health treatment and foster care knowledge comes from tv so please make allowances for inconsistencies. If you see bad information, please let me know and I will correct!

And thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites. I do a little happy dance with each and every one...


	8. Chapter 8

~~~~~CM~~~~~

By promising Spencer a visit with his mother the next day, Emily was able to get him to say his goodbyes. The drive home was tense, both adults running over the varying scenarios of their future through their minds.

Emily adored the little boy. She loved how he interacted with his mother, and how his mother treated him like a person, not babying him or treating him like he was entitled because he was a genius. Diana Reid was an amazing woman who had been dealt a bad hand. Groaning, Emily berated herself for the bad Vegas puns.

Aaron glanced over, "Em?"

"Just thinking," She shook her head of errant thoughts, "I'll bet the Ambassador has arrived."

"Probably not, otherwise the team would have texted," Aaron answered, at that very moment, both of their phones began beeping.

Pulling up to the house, Aaron prepared the little boy, "Spencer, we have some visitors at the house today. They are going to check on the other kids."

Spencer unbuckled himself and climbed into Aaron's arms, "All kids are going home."

"Yes, but not today."

"Good, cause they are my friends." The boy stated as he touched his nose to Aaron's.

Suppressing the urge to take a picture of the adorableness before her, Emily followed Aaron and Spencer into the house.

At the sight of her mother holding court over the diplomats and David Rossi, Emily sucked in a deep breath before exhaling slowly. She walked around Aaron and called out, "Mother, so glad you made it."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron nodded to the large group, only recognizing his mother in law and the Director of Social Services, in the living room, before following his wife across the room.

"Hello Elizabeth," he kissed the Ambassador's cheek lightly and shifted the four year old in his arms.

"May I introduce Spencer Reid? Spencer, this is Ambassador Prentiss." Aaron lowered his voice a bit, "She's Emily's mother."

Spencer held out his hand and shook hands with the older sophisticated woman, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ambassador."

Her reserved expression didn't hold, and a small smile graced her face, "Hello Mr. Reid. You may call me Elizabeth."

"Please call me Spencer." He nodded at her and turned to look back at Aaron, "Can we have lunch now?"

Dave approached them, holding out his arms, "Actually, Derek and JJ are preparing lunch now. How about I take Spencer so you and Emily can meet everyone?" Despite looking distressed at the idea of being away from Aaron, Spencer seemed eager to be away from the room full of strangers. Janine Banner excused herself and followed Spencer and Dave.

The Ambassador introduced the diplomats around the room, ignoring the state dept employees that Emily had named Boring Thing I and II. With niceties out of the way, the plan was formed.

Amara's parents had been issued expedited visas and they would be arriving in the middle of the night. They would be handing over custody of the child first thing in the morning.

Frederick and Tarik's parents had run into issues getting visas, but the State Department reps had made themselves useful and issued emergency visas. The parents were expected to arrive late tomorrow.

Once the plans were in motion, the diplomats wanted to meet the children. One by one, they met in the study, speaking in their native tongues. Amara hugged her fellow countryman, while Frederick and Tarik were more restrained, shaking hands with the diplomats.

Satisfied with their conversations, the diplomats declared they were confident in the agents' ability to manage the children, as was Janine, who oversaw the meetings. She relied on translations and the children's interactions with the diplomats and FBI agents. Nodding to the group, she said, "I am satisfied with the children's care as well and I will inform the Governor. I will return tomorrow and sign off on the release of children to their parents."

The diplomats thanked Aaron for the FBI's recovery of the children, then thanked Emily for coordinating with Interpol to identify the missing children.

Elizabeth instructed the state department reps to drive them back to their hotels so they could follow up with their home countries.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The Ambassador joined her daughter and son in law in the kitchen. The kids had finished eating and scrambled away to family room followed by Derek and JJ. Playing host, Dave plated lunches for the adults.

Aaron pulled a chair out for Elizabeth. She sat down primly accepting a glass of water from her daughter.

"Emily, I am most concerned about Spencer's well being. I understand he doesn't have anywhere to go."

"Mother, we have not met with Social Services to explore Spencer's options."

Dave smirked at Aaron above the heads' of the women.

"This is an international incident. There will be media coverage. All the children will be reunited with their families and this poor child will be in limbo."

Aaron delivered the plates from Dave and joined them at the table, "Actually, Elizabeth, we have taken this into account. JJ is working with Clark Williams from State on presenting Spencer's case in the media without revealing too much information regarding his identity and mother's condition."

"His father was murdered. None of the other parents were killed." Elizabeth stated factually, her elegant brows furrowed in confusion.

Dave spoke from over the granite countertop, "The others were kidnapped from school playgrounds or parks where they were not closely supervised. Spencer did not attend school. He was with his father at all times. The unsub didn't have the means to snatch the boy without incapacitating the father."

"And the remains of the other children?" Elizabeth asked.

"At this time, we know the remains are of two different children, a boy and a girl, approximate age range from seven to ten. The medical examiner believes the girl died a year ago, the boy died two to three years ago. Since the unsub traveled the world, it's hard to pinpoint where the children came from."

The conversation ground to a halt as Spencer entered the room. The small boy climbed into Aaron's lap, "I ate my lunch without you, that was 2,700 seconds then I played without you for 300 seconds."

"I need to eat my lunch. Can you wait another 300 seconds and I will join you?" Aaron asked gently, pushing Spencer's hair away from his eyes.

"You don't have an internal clock. You will be late." Spencer pouted, his bottom lip jutting out adorably.

Aaron fiddled with the timer on his phone, "I set it for five minutes. Deal?"

Spencer nodded, "Those other children were his first two subjects. Noah Carter is from Canada, and the girl is Camille Dubois is from France. Dr. Franks said they were uncooperative."

He hopped off of Aaron's lap and raced back into the other room leaving the adults in shock; the ambassador's mouth hanging open in an undignified manner.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

It was another hour before Aaron could get Emily alone and without little ears listening. He relayed the conversations with Diana Reid and Dr. Norman to his wife.

Her hand flew up and covered her mouth, tears springing from her eyes, "Oh Aaron."

"Let's meet with the social workers and get the process started."

"This will take some time."

"Jack." They both said at the same time.

"I know you have only been gone three days, two for me but what do you think of having Jess flying out here with him?" Emily asked.

Aaron called his sister in law, asking how she would feel about take a mini vacation in Vegas.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Three different tear filled reunions left the agents worn out over the next two days. The children's new toys and clothes packed up to return with them. Amara pleaded with her parents to bring Derek home with them. Spencer was sad to see them go but they all promised to video chat with the little boy, squishing him with hugs as they left.

The Ambassador had declined to leave with the other diplomats, she wanted to remain behind to help orchestrate the media coverage and make arrangements to bury William Reid.

Janine Banner with Social Services now had officially assigned a caseworker for Spencer.

They were going to meet with Diana's caseworker and Spencer's caseworker at the sanitarium. This was their third visit and Diana was not having a good day. She was screaming and tugging at her sleeves.

The caseworkers arrived in time to watch four year old Spencer handle the situation with the maturity of an adult. He wouldn't allow the nurse to give her a sedative. "She's adjusting to being back on the medication, if she isn't calm in 30 minutes then you can sedate her."

Spencer had everyone leave their mobile phones in the hallway and he climbed on her bed to close her curtains. He asked the orderly to remove the television from her room. The orderly returned with a screwdriver, then between him and Aaron, the television was dismounted from the wall.

Spencer handed Emily a book, climbed into her lap and asked her to read out loud. She started reading loudly, but Spencer patted her arm, "Miss Emily, you have to read softly so she will stop yelling. She will want to hear what you are reading."

Sure enough, the soothing words in a soft voice had a calming effect on Diana. She stopped ranting and pacing. Eventually, she settled on the bed. Spencer joined her, cuddled in her arms as they both drifted off to sleep as Emily's voice with its even cadence continued to read to them.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: A thank you to all of my readers and reviewers.

To the guest reviewer who outlined how Social Services and custody would work, I have relied on your knowledge to make this as accurate as possible. The FBI had custody of all the children and in the next few chapters, I will dive deeper into specific custody of Spencer.


	9. Chapter 9

~~~~~CM~~~~~

When the mother and son were sleeping deeply, Emily put the book away and joined the group in the hall.

Dr. Norman directed them to a nearby conference room, asking the orderly to stay behind and keep an eye on the sleeping pair.

"I'm Hillary Gomez, Spencer's caseworker." The tiny woman introduced herself, taking charge of the room, "This is Maddie Nelson, Mrs. Reid's caseworker. Can you introduce yourselves?"

Maddie, a tall heavy set woman, nodded at them and smiled at Dr. Norman.

"Aaron Hotchner, Supervisory Special Agent in Charge, Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI. This is my wife, Emily Prentiss, Supervisory Special Agent, Human Trafficking Task Force of the FBI." He reached out and shook hands with both the caseworkers.

Emily followed suit, adding, "Nice to meet you."

"Those titles are longer than ours." Hillary smiled tightly at them as they all took their seats, "Let's get down to business, I am getting a lot of pressure from the higher ups about placing Spencer Reid quickly because of the incoming media storm. I understand this is an unusual situation, however, I fully intend to do my job and be an advocate for this young man. He will not be placed because of pressure from a U.S. Ambassador."

Nearly jumping out of her seat, Emily was calmed by Aaron's warm hand on her arm.

"Spencer's well being is our highest priority. Despite the familial relationship between the Ambassador and my wife, we would like to formally apply to adopt Spencer Reid. This decision was made prior to the Ambassador's interest, and with the consent of Diana Reid."

After pausing for a moment to meet the eyes of both caseworkers, Aaron continued, "Please understand that this is not a decision we came to lightly. We had just started the foster to adopt application with the Fairfax County Department of Health and Human Services in Virginia where we live. We were also looking at private adoption services."

The fiery woman relaxed into her chair, "This isn't a whim for publicity or politics?"

A small chuckle escaped from Aaron, and Emily gave him a dirty look before addressing Hillary, "As Aaron knows, I hate politics. We have no intention of allowing the media to have access to Spencer or the other children. In fact, our FBI media liaison is working with the State Department to ensure information regarding Spencer and Diana Reid are withheld. They will report on the recovery of four children as well as the deaths of two unidentified children and William Reid. We have also personally spoken with the other parents of the recovered children, cautioning them not to release details of the case. However, their children were reported missing in their home countries so the press already has their names and photographs."

"Good, good." Hillary now smiled openly, "Now, I understand you have spoken with Mrs. Reid regarding your interest in caring for Spencer."

"We both have when she was lucid," said Aaron.

Turning to Maddie and Dr. Norman, Hillary addressed them, "Diana Reid cannot legally give contest."

"While legally she cannot give custody of Spencer, I believe we should take her wishes into consideration. Her utmost concern has been her son's well being." Maddie told the group.

Agreeing with the caseworker, Dr. Norman explained how Diana's schizophrenia had progressed to the point where she needed to be committed. He continued by giving them a glimpse into Mrs. Reid's situation, "Right now, Diana is unstable but prior to Spencer's kidnapping, she was adjusting well to the medication and treatments. She was able to make sound decisions regarding her care, as well as her son's well being. William Reid followed her guidance to ensure Spencer was well cared for and stimulated intellectually. For example, she convinced him not to force the boy to join a t-ball league as he was disinterested in team sports. He enrolled Spencer in swim lessons instead."

The doctor took a breath, "Spencer is good for her as she is for him. I have never seen a young child handle their parent's episodes like this. Actually, I've seen very few adults handle these situations calmly. I believe separating mother and child would be detrimental to both of them." Dr. Norman continued, "Diana has requested that I look into sanitariums on the East Coast. It is her intention to remain close to Spencer for regular visitations."

Maddie spoke again, "Diana called me a few days ago, filling me in on the situation. William Reid had Power of Attorney over her. With his death, she becomes the responsibility of the state of Nevada. She was aware of her rights and asked that I help her look into Emily and Aaron's background. If we deemed them fit, she asked to be transferred to a facility in Virginia. These are actions of a lucid person, despite her illness and what we saw today, I believe we should honor her requests. I recommend starting with a background check on Emily Prentiss and Aaron Hotchner."

Breathless, Emily clutched Aaron's hand like it was a lifeline; he squeezed back tightly.

"Emily and I are happy to go through a background check and provide any information you deem necessary. Also, our son, Jack, and my sister in law will be arriving tomorrow if you would like to interview them in person. Jessica will be caregiving for any children we bring into our family if Emily or I are away on a case."

Hillary looked up from her scribbling in her notepad, and smiled, "Yes, that would be wonderful. I have everything I need to get this process started. We will be pursuing an emergency foster parent status with the department. Despite its name, this is not a quick process; I believe at least two weeks to get everything sorted; can you stay in town that long?"

Emily nodded, "I will stay for as long as it takes. Aaron and Jack can only stay for a few more days."

"Good, good. After all of this is squared away, we will work within the court system. Spencer will be assigned a guardian ad litem; someone who will represent Spencer's best interests."

With Hillary's last comment, the tension dissolved for Emily and Aaron, their grips on each other's hand loosened.

Glancing at Maddie and Dr. Norman, Aaron noted they both still seemed concerned as they exchanged worried looks.

"I am going to get in touch with my supervisor as well as my counterparts in Virginia and see what the process is to transfer a patient without a power of attorney." Maddie stated, "This is highly unusual so I do not want to make any promises."

The group exchanged business cards and the FBI agents accepted a large stack of forms from Hillary as the meeting came to a close.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

It was late afternoon by the time they had gathered up Spencer and returned to the house. Aaron and Emily were emotionally exhausted. They collapsed on the couches as Spencer ran around the house looking for the other FBI agents.

He found Derek in the study and dragged him out to play in the backyard since "Mr. Aaron and Ms. Emily are too sleepy to play."

The hyper little boy returned every 300 seconds to check on his Mr. Aaron who was dozing with his mouth hanging open. Emily suppressed a giggle as Derek took a snapshot and sent it the team.

Despite feeling physically worn out, Emily was elated. She headed into the study to call JJ and Penelope to update them on the situation. After the excited chattering slowed, they filled her in on the case.

Emily would have to work with Boring Thing I and II to relay the sad news; the remains of the children were positively confirmed after Spencer had identified their names.

"This is the worst part of the job," Emily complained to Andi Swan over the phone, "I don't want to tell the parents their children didn't survive this madman."

Andi sympathized and they addressed Emily request to work from Las Vegas for a limited number of hours. "Emily, with your unique position, you can work from anywhere really. Plus working with your international counterparts, you are going to be working odd hours. Get your hours in each week and if something comes up, used your Paid Time Off. Even after your week long honeymoon, you have nine weeks banked."

"Thanks, Andi. I appreciate it."

Despite the heaviness of the situation, Emily felt better about being able to stay in Las Vegas with Spencer without affecting her new position.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: To my guest reviewers who provided a ton of information on social workers and processes - I can't thank you enough. Let me know if I need to make any changes and I will go back and update this chapter.

To the folks reviewing, following, and favoriting - thank you, thank you, thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Despite recovering and identifying the children, the BAU team continued to work the Dr. Franks case along with the Las Vegas Police Department. They conducted several interviews with Spencer. Derek was mesmerized by the little boy's eidetic memory; it pleased him that they didn't need to rely on cognitive interviews to parcel out small snippets of information.

Derek tread lightly when he asked Spencer what happened on the day of the abduction. That's when he came to the realization that Spencer's gift was also a curse. The little boy would never forget the details of the day his father was murdered in front of him.

After concluding the interview, the large muscled man knelt down and looked the four year old in the eye, "Spencer, when I was nine, my dad died in front of me. Just like yours. A bad guy shot him. It's okay to be sad. I miss my dad. It's okay if you miss yours too."

Distraught, Spencer clutched onto Derek as tightly as he could, refusing to speak.

Recalling how Spencer had calmed his mother, Emily wondered if the same thing would work for him. She grabbed a book and began to read. The little boy curled up in her lap, his face nestled in her bosom as he listened to soft cadence of her voice.

"I am very sad that my dad is dead." He stated stoically as Aaron helped him into pajamas a few hours later.

"It's a sad situation, Spencer. I know it hurts your heart." The little boy huffed and rolled his eyes at Aaron, "Metaphorically. When I feel sad like this, I get a stomachache."

Nodding, Spencer rubbed his stomach, "yeah, I am sad and my stomach hurts. Not my heart."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The team regrouped after Spencer went to bed. Penelope set up the video chat, including the lead detective. Earlier in the day, Derek had directed the locals to find the grocery store that delivered to Dr. Franks' house. According to Spencer all the meals were pre-made and delivered. A rookie found the catering service that supplied the unsub with prepared meals for the children. All were made with specific "Brain Foods" like the customer requested, the manager told them.

Penelope had found Dr. Franks' source of income; a large family trust that was estimated in the tens of millions. It allowed him unlimited access to private planes, homes, and medical equipment. "Sir, he had a mini MRI machine, an EEG machine, and a MEG machine, and a bunch more. I don't even know what half these machines are for..."

Spencer confirmed the upstairs bedrooms had all looked labs or doctor's offices. Further police interviews with the kidnapped children came in from around the world, all recounting that they had to undergo scans and tests every few days.

The State Department reported from their counterparts that Franks had been flying into private airfields bypassing any traditional security checks.

Penelope didn't stop her research with Franks, she had also found William Reid's Last Will and Testament, and Power of Attorney documents. All listed his law school mentor, a Mr. Robert Nelson, J.D., as executor of his estate, and guardian of Diana and Spencer Reid. She asked JJ to notify him of Reid's death and meet them in Vegas.

Aaron and Emily exchanged worried glances; Nelson could prevent their adoption of Spencer. Squeezing his wife's hand, they both turned their attention back to the computer screen.

Dave and the head detective interviewed the unsub's past employers. All had fired him for unethical practices or insubordination. His position at UNLV was tenuous; despite the fact, Franks had been a non-tenured guest lecturer for the past five years. Recently, the Dean noted Franks requested unmonitored access to their state of the art labs and when that was denied, his class evaluations had dropped significantly enough that his contract was not being renewed.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The next morning, Emily, JJ, the State Department representatives, and local police handled the notifications to distraught parents in Canada and France. Hanging up the phone, the women hugged each other, sitting together in silence afterward.

By mid-day, Elizabeth Prentiss and her international counterparts appeared on television screens around the world. They announced the recovery of four kidnapped children, then the sad news of two children, and one adult, who hadn't survived this madman. They thanked the FBI, the Las Vegas Police Department, and local citizens who helped bring this case together. Internationally, the press went wild; setting up camp at the parent's homes and workplaces. Luckily, they had been expecting this reaction. The families went into hiding and planned to stay out of sight until media attention died down. Thankfully, the press didn't know about the Reid family, they were only mentioned as a local family.

Ignorant of all the goings around him, Spencer was in heaven; six year old Jack Hotchner had arrived.

Spencer was polite and shook hands with Jack and his Aunt Jess but he wasn't sure about this boy. He was worried about losing his Mr. Aaron to Jack, but the man simply picked up Spencer and hugged him close after he had been reunited with his son. If they were apart, Aaron still checked in with Spencer every 300 seconds, always setting the timer on his phone.

Emily also paid attention to both of the boys. She included Spencer in all her interactions with Jack; taking care of them, kissing them on the head, and playing with them.

Jessica had told the four year old that she was sure that Spencer and Jack would be good friends. Spencer was surprised by this unsubstantiated declaration. His only friends had just flown home. If he hadn't been kidnapped, he wouldn't have had any friends. He had never had friends in his short four years. Here was this strange woman who assumed that Jack would like him.

Despite his misgivings, Spencer learned that Jack was a sweet gentle boy who loved to play with puzzles and Legos. Jack included him in his silly games, including how to penguin walk a soccer ball in the backyard. They ran around with Derek and made homemade pizzas with Dave.

JJ flew home but she promised to call them on the video chat so they could talk to her son, Henry. Jack told Spencer that Henry was nice and loved cars.

Emily took Spencer to visit his mother, and Jack tagged along. She was having another bad day but her episode was limited to muttering to herself. Emily quickly picked up where she left off in the book as Jack watched in fascination.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Dave accompanied Aaron to the funeral home where they met William Reid's friend and executor, Robert Nelson, an older man in his early seventies. Aaron shook hands with the man holding his family's future in limbo. He hoped given Robert's age that he wouldn't request custody of Spencer.

Reid had been clear on his burial preferences, cremation. Working together quietly, they organized a small memorial service for that Saturday.

Afterward, they went to the Reid household. Aaron packed up some of Spencer's clothing and books. He was surprised by how few toys the child had and the abundance of new yet unused sporting equipment. Dave gathered a family mementos and photographs.

"I'll hire movers to pack up the house. We can sell everything but the books. I will put those in storage for now." Robert said after an hour of silence, sitting in William's office.

The last will and testament indicated that all his assets should be divided between his wife and son. Aaron was secretly pleased with the size of the estate, there would be enough to cover Diana's care rather than depending on the state to do so.

"I'm so glad that you have Power of Attorney," Aaron told Robert, "I was afraid Diana and Spencer were going to become wards of the state."

The older man nodded, "it was all William. He was a damn fine attorney. He was prepared for every situation. I'm just sorry that I live out of state. I really didn't know anything had happened until your JJ called me."

"I know it's unusual but Spencer," Aaron paused and started over, "my wife and I care for Spencer very much. We have discussed this with Diana and we are hoping to adopt him. We applied for foster parent status with the county."

After a few probing questions about their situation, Robert succinctly said, "I see." His face didn't betray any emotions, giving Aaron very little to analyze.

The men locked up the house and headed over to the sanitarium. Robert sat with Diana and cried with her over the loss of her husband and his dear friend. Robert met Spencer for the first time since he was a baby, shaking the young boy's hand.

He watched the group gather in Diana's room. Jack and Spencer were laying on the floor drawing pictures of the story Diana was telling them, The Odyssey. Emily, Aaron, and Dave stood in the doorway of the room, observing. Robert excused himself to meet with Dr. Norman.

An hour later, he asked Emily and Aaron to step into the hallway, "I have confirmed Diana's wishes with Dr. Norman and her caseworker. I would like to meet Spencer's caseworker and get to know you both better before I make any decisions."

Hopeful tears welled up in Emily's eyes as Aaron extended a hand to Robert.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: A lot happening in one chapter… from learning about the unsub, to Spencer meeting Jack, and finally meeting the man who has Jack's future in his hands…

Thank you all for taking the time to read and review, I feel like I am writing this story with all of you.


	11. Chapter 11

~~~~~CM~~~~~

After finishing up at Bennington Sanitarium, they invited Robert to dinner, but he declined citing exhaustion. He would join them for dinner the next night.

The boys dragged their booster seats from Emily's car into Aaron's large SUV, demanding that he drive them home. Dave accompanied Emily on the ride home to keep her company.

"Quite a few changes there, Caro."

"Dave, I've been married less than two months, changed jobs, became a stepmom, and now looking at adding a four year old to the family. Changes, um yeah," she rolled her eyes at him.

He patted her leg, chuckling at her, "Go Big or Go Home, right? You have never been one to stick your toe in the water. You've always dove in, head first I might add."

"That's true. I am so excited. We are a little closer to bringing Spencer home with us."

They arrived before Aaron and the boys to find Derek and Jessica tackling dinner for their extended family. Emily handled the laundry while Dave headed to the office they had been using as their home base.

By the time everyone was home, the volume of the house was unprecedentedly loud.

The knock on the door was barely heard. Hillary, Spencer's caseworker, arrived for a surprise inspection. Dave let her in and filled her in on finding that both the little boy and his mother had a legal guardian, Robert Nelson. She was pleased with the news but informed Dave that until the official paperwork was submitted, Spencer was still her responsibility.

Just then Jack and Spencer ran through the house yelling about pirates and astronauts. Jessica popped out of the kitchen to grab the boys around the waist as they tried to circle around again. She carried them, a kid tucked under each arm, to the bathroom door, laughing. "Wash your hands for dinner, please."

Dave led Hillary to the kitchen and introduced her to Jessica and Derek. Emily ran to set another place for dinner despite Hillary's objections.

The caseworker left that evening wishing she that all of the children she was responsible for could someday have a family like this one.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Dave accompanied Emily to the shopping center to buy a suit for Spencer then to the Reid household so she could find an appropriate outfit for Diana for William Reid's memorial service.

Aaron, Emily, and Jessica had decided that Jack shouldn't attend the funeral as he still had nightmares about his mother's passing. Jessica opted to keep Jack away from the group for the day; taking him to explore the family-friendly side of Las Vegas.

When Saturday morning arrived, the BAU Team escorted Spencer to the memorial service where they met his mother and Dr. Norman. Diana was somber as she took her son's hand and led him to the front of the church to sit with Robert Nelson.

The service was a quiet affair filled with Williams' coworkers, neighbors, and even Spencer's tutor, Anna. Elizabeth Prentiss made an appearance accompanied by the State Department agents.

Spencer was silent through the morning, leaning on his mother until it was time for her to speak. Diana recited a poem and spoke about William's love for his family. Robert told a heartwarming story and turned the podium to the minister.

People gave their condolences as they exited the church but Spencer wouldn't look at them. He tucked his face into his mother's legs and cried. Diana stood regal and calm, as she shook hand after hand, keeping her other hand on Spencer's back.

After everyone had left, Aaron and Emily approached them.

"Diana, do you need anything?" Emily asked.

Aaron escorted them to a chair and bent down to speak with the little boy, "Spencer, buddy, remember what we talked about? It's okay to be sad."

The four year old let go of his mother's legs and threw himself into Aaron's arms, sobbing, "My stomach and my head hurt."

Rocking the little boy, Aaron rubbed his back, "I know, I know it hurts."

Diana accepted a styrofoam cup of water from Emily and sighed, "How are we going to get through this?"

"Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day," murmured Emily.

Diana along with Dr. Norman and Robert returned to the house for lunch. Dave had prepared a simple meal. The group ate and chatted as Spencer sat in his mother's lap.

Spencer was hysterical after his mother returned to the sanitarium with Dr. Norman. Nothing anyone did calmed the boy. He screamed for his mother until he was hoarse.

Finally, Emily picked up Spencer and hugged him tightly despite his flailing around. She wrapped her arms around him while making shushing noises. The boy calmed down after a few minutes and lay limp in her arms.

"We can visit your mom tomorrow, buddy. I promise." Aaron told him, carding his hand through Spencer's hair as he fell asleep.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The next day, Spencer was a shadow of himself. He didn't speak to anyone over breakfast and he ignored Jack's attempts to play with him.

Jessica and Derek played with Jack as Aaron took Spencer to visit his mother. Emily headed across town to visit her mother at her hotel.

After reviewing the public reaction to the story around the world, Elizabeth moved to the topic of discussion to the four year old boy.

"I understand you won't have to go through the state of Nevada to get custody of Spencer." The ambassador said as she handed Emily a cup of tea.

Sipping the hot liquid slowly, Emily paused before speaking, "Actually Mother, we will still need Robert's approval and then be evaluated but it's not as cumbersome a process as becoming a foster parent."

They were interrupted by the ringing of Emily's phone, "Excuse me, Mother."

It was Aaron, his normally strong baritone voice sounded broken, "It's bad. He is practically catatonic. He wouldn't even talk to Diana. She is reading to him now. I don't know if he can hear her."

"We knew we would need to work with a therapist. Can we reach out to Jack's doctor?"

Aaron sighed heavily, "I'll call him but we aren't going home for a few more days."

Emily chewed on her fingernail as she paced, "Poor Spencer. Would be crazy to fly out the doctor out here?"

"I'm sure he has other patients but I will call him now to see what he says."

"Aaron, we'll get him through this," she promised her husband but she truly doubted her abilities to help this boy through the trauma of having his father murdered in front of him, being kidnaped by a deranged man, then ripping him away from his mother. Sadly, she needed to rely on Aaron's personal experience with Jack losing his mother to a violent psychopath.

Hanging up, she joined her mother in the sitting room. Elizabeth reached out and patted Emily's hand before enclosing it in hers, "Emily, you are an incredibly caring person. This is a difficult time for your family, but you will persevere and Spencer will heal and thrive with you, Aaron, and Jack."

Unable to control her tears, Emily sobbed, "Mom, I want to help him so badly but the poor boy. His father was murdered in front of him; he was kidnapped and held for almost a month, and now we are going to move him across the country and he won't see his mother every day."

The ambassador crossed to the other couch and pulled her daughter into her arms, "Shhh, Emmy, shh. It's going to be alright."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: I think Spencer finally felt safe enough with Aaron and Emily to break down. Sorry, this wasn't a very happy chapter...


	12. Chapter 12

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The next day, Robert Nelson joined the extended family for dinner. Spencer still clutched at Aaron like he was going to disappear, limiting the opportunity to discuss anything of significance. Emily tried to convince Spencer to get into the tub but he stoutly shook his head at her. He would be going without a bath that evening.

It was Jessica was ultimately successful in getting Spencer's attention. Unlike the FBI agents who to tried to engage him; she simply ignored him. Jessica asked Jack to play Legos. Jack began building cars while Jessica attempted to build a tower. When her tower collapsed for the third time, and she complained, "I can't figure out what I am doing wrong."

Spencer, who had been peeking from Aaron's lap, whispered, "You need a stronger base."

"Spencer, it looks like Jessica is getting frustrated. Do you think you could help her?" Aaron asked quietly.

Nodding, Spencer climbed down, and sat beside Jessica on the floor, "May I help?"

"Yes, please." She smiled gently at him, "I want to have Jack's cars park underneath the tower but it keeps falling and breaking."

The boy began the arduous process of reassembling the tower and Jessica gave a sly wink towards the adults.

With the boys playing, Aaron and Emily discussed the situation and the recommendation from Jack's therapist with the group.

Impressed with their dedication and devotion to the boy, Robert felt the tension in his chest ease. His gut feeling was that this was a good family and the more time he spent with them, their extended family, and coworkers, he was confident he was providing Spencer with a better life. His call with Hillary, Spencer's caseworker, had been encouraging. Both their background checks had come back clean, they were FBI agents after all, but her interviews with their neighbors, relatives, and Jack's teachers confirmed this was a solid loving family.

Robert was lost in his thoughts when Emily got his attention, "Robert, are you okay?" she asked.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I will file the paperwork with the courts tomorrow giving you custody of Spencer," Robert paused, "I plan on remaining Diana's guardian and managing the trust for both of them. I would like to be a part of his life. I don't want to lose contact with him."

Covering her mouth with her hand, Emily held back an excited cry.

Aaron smiled openly, revealing his deep-set dimples, as Dave clapped him on the back.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Emily took Spencer to visit his mother the next day, giving Aaron and Jack some much needed alone time. They were letting Spencer keep his silence, and allowing him to engage when he wished rather than constantly asking him if he was okay or trying to convince him to talk with them. Emily pulled up a science podcast on her phone about the evolutionary history of dogs. Spencer was silent for the ride but Emily was pleased when he recited what he had learned to Diana.

Dr. Norman stopped by the room and told Emily that he had found a good facility for Diana in Mclean, Virginia. They expected a spot to open up for her in about six weeks.

"Do you have any advice on how we can help facilitate communication between Spencer and Diana? Based on her reactions to technology, I don't think video chats or phone calls will be well received."

The doctor nodded in agreement, "When William was, well, when Diana first arrived, we thought a morning phone call with Spencer would be a good start to the day for both of them. Unfortunately, those triggered multiple episodes. Written communications may work best."

Emily nodded, imagining teaching Spencer to write legibly, "We can prepare them for the separation ahead of time."

"When are you heading home?"

Grinning at him, Emily could barely hold back, "Hopefully by the weekend. The custody paperwork is being filed as we speak and the caseworker has approved. Basically, whenever a judge signs the paperwork."

Embracing Emily, Dr. Norman said, "This is the best outcome I could have hoped for after everything that has happened. You and Aaron are impacting both Diana's and Spencer's lives in a positive manner."

They rejoined mother and child, enjoying the little boy's reenactment of domesticating wild dogs.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Diana invited them to lunch in the dayroom where Spencer could play chess against some of the patients and staff. By the time Emily returned with the lunch trays, Spencer had already beaten a nurse and a patient. He was focused on a current game against another patient.

The women ate as they watched the little boy's face scrunch in concentration. Spencer blew upwards, sending his bangs flying, and they both said, "He needs a haircut," at the same time.

Laughing, Diana reached out for Emily's hand, "I am thankful that you are taking care of my son."

"Diana, it's going to be a long six weeks before you are with us in Virginia. After Spencer's meltdowns this week, I don't know how he is going to handle being away from you for so long." Emily confessed, "The other night, he cried and screamed for hours."

"I heard. I am sorry I couldn't be there for him. I hate this illness. It had ripped my life from me. I can't be with my son. None of this would have happened if I was healthy and home," she spat out angrily.

Emily tightened her grip on Diana's hand, "No, no. If you had been home, you would have been killed. Spencer would have been an orphan. Your illness is preventing you from living the life you wanted, but you are alive and you still have Spencer."

Diana sat up straight, squaring her shoulders, and cleared her throat but she was unable to speak. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before trying again, "Spencer likes to know what is going to happen. He doesn't like it when things aren't planned, or when plans change at last minute. We will lay out a plan, let him know that we won't be able to see each other for eight weeks. That gives me additional time to adjust to the new facility."

"Dr. Norman and I thought perhaps you could write to each other since you are not a fan…" Emily trailed off unsure of how to proceed.

"Of phones? You are right. They tend to trigger some of the worst episodes. Both landlines and mobile phones. I think writing letters to each other may work well."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"Hey Aaron, we just finished up," Emily said into her phone.

"Good. " Her husband sounded sheepish.

Puzzled, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Um well, I forgot about Spencer's tutor. The girl practically broke the case for us and I forgot all about her," Aaron confessed. "She just called JJ for an update on Spencer. I recall seeing her at the back of the church at the memorial service but honestly, I forgot she existed."

"Oh Aaron, we had so much going on; I am sure she will understand. Why don't I give her a call and set up a time to visit with her," Emily suggested.

A quick phone call later, and Emily was turning the car around, "Spencer, do you want to visit Anna?"

"Yay!" The boy cheered from the back seat.

Driving around the college campus, Emily grumbled as she tried to read the tiny signs hidden in the shrubbery from the car. Luckily, Spencer directed her towards the science building where Anna was waiting on the steps.

The college girl dropped her bag as she ran to scoop up Spencer into a hug. The trio walked around campus, chatting, stopping for ice cream before ending up at the library. Emily didn't think she would ever forget the look on Spencer's face as he walked aisle by aisle caressing the book spines.

As they walked back to the science building, Anna handed Spencer a gift wrapped box from her backpack. His cries of joy echoed off the stone archway as he opened the boxed set of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He recounted the story of the Odyssey he learned from his mother and his phone friend, Penelope. The four year old glanced through each book, caressing the covers as the women talked.

"This merges the classics a little modern story. It features a teenage boy with learning difficulties. I think it's a good way for Spencer to connect with emotions and still quench his thirst for knowledge." Anna pulled her hair back into a messy bun, "Um, the first book also deals with the loss of a parent. I thought it might help."

Emily blinked away tears, "It's a thoughtful present, Anna. Thank you."

As they parted ways, Anna and Emily exchanged contact information. Spencer hugged his old tutor's legs as Anna ran her hand through his tousled hair, "I'll write you letters, okay?"

"Bye, Anna! Thanks for my books!"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N:

Science Friday on NPR played a piece on the domestication of wild dogs about six years ago and my son was enthralled. It was fascinating and to be honest I was shocked that a little kid would be so interested.

Percy Jackson books, (well any books by Rick Riordan), are amazing. They have mythology which is cool but they also have diverse characters and characters with ADHD and Dyslexia. I strongly recommend them (as a reader and as a parent).


	13. Chapter 13

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The custody agreement was approved by a county judge without any fanfare. Emily, Aaron, and Robert met Spencer's caseworker, Hillary, at the courthouse. They were called into the judge's chambers and signed the paperwork.

Shaking their hands, Hillary wished them luck and sped off to her next appointment.

Robert returned to the house with them. Emily prepared lunch as Aaron exchanged contact information with Robert, issuing an open invitation to visit any time.

Derek, Jessica, and the boys spent the morning at the aquarium, arriving in time for lunch. Jack entertained the adults by demonstrating how the different aquatic animals moved through the water as Spencer gave their scientific names. Jack announced that stingrays were his favorite and Spencer followed up with his favorite, Phycodurus eques (leafy seadragon), which looked like a plant.

Robert said goodbye to the group, giving Spencer a tight squeeze before heading out with a heavy heart despite knowing he had made the best decision for the little boy. Dave offered to share a cab to the airport with Robert as he was ready to return home as well.

As evening fell, Derek offered to show Jessica around Vegas for their last night in Sin City. They needed to return to work and were flying out the next day. Derek made sure to rile up the boys before smirking and escorting Jess out of the house.

The boys ran around the house hollering and nothing Emily or Aaron did could get them to play quietly. Emily called JJ and Penelope to complain about Derek's behavior. At Penelope's suggestion, the two mothers set up a video chat with Henry. The three boys did a mini show and tell with their stuffed animals as the adults finally were able to relax with a cup of tea.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The next morning, the new family of four said their goodbyes to Aunt Jessica and Derek who were returning home. Aaron helped the boys into the SUV before they headed for Bennington Sanitarium. It was time to tell Spencer about living with Aaron and Emily permanently.

Diana was having a good day; her medications finally stabilizing. She asked to be alone with Spencer so Aaron, Emily, and Jack headed to the garden for a short walk. Emily picked at her nails as she paced the xeriscaped garden.

"Dad, why is Emily freaking out?" Jack inquired as he picked up a rock.

Leading his son to the bench, Aaron sat down, "Jack, do you remember when we talked about having more children join our family?"

The sandy haired boy nodded, "You said it would take a long time to get a baby. Then I get to be a big brother."

"Yes, it does take a long time to get a baby. We would like Spencer to join our family. "

"But he already has a mom," Jack asked, "Can he still live with us?"

Emily joined them on the bench, "Spencer does have his mom but she is not well enough to take care of him. She is going to move to another place like this near us so Spencer can still visit her."

"Jack, what do you think of Spencer moving in with us?" Aaron asked.

The six year old furrowed his brows as he thought, "Does this mean I am a big brother now?"

"Why don't we ask Spencer if he wants a big brother? If not, you can be best friends."

"Yay!" Jack cheered.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Spencer trotted out to the garden and asked them to come inside, "Mom wants to talk to you."

"Are you okay, Spencer?" Emily asked the boy.

He reached up and took her hand as they walked together, "I'm sad and happy and sad."

She paused and crouched down, "I feel very happy and very sad too."

"Why?" He asked as his glasses slipped down his nose.

Emily nodded at Aaron and Jack to continue walking ahead, "Spencer, I am so very happy that you get to be in my life and live with me. That makes me smile. I am sad that your dad isn't here, that he is gone. And I am sad that you won't get to see your mom for awhile. But I am happy that your mom is moving close to our house. You will get to see her and spend time with her."

He nodded and hugged her, "Is it okay to be happy and sad at the same time?"

"Yup. You can ask Jack or Aaron. They feel the same way sometimes. Everyone does." She lifted him up and carried him back to Diana's room.

Jack was bouncing on the bed, telling Diana about their house in Virginia, "And Emily has a cat named Sergio. And he loves me and sleeps on my feet at night."

Turning around, Jack noticed Spencer, "And and and, Spencer, I will share Sergio with you. And my toys, and my books, and my room."

Scrambling out of Emily's arms, Spencer dropped on to the bed, "A cat?"

"He's black and runs super fast when you chase him. And he purrs real loud." Jack imitated a loud purr, "Like a car engine."

Aaron smiled, "There you go, Diana, everything is better because there is a cat."

Spencer's mother gave a watery laugh, hugging to two boys to her. Spencer climbed into her lap to ask Jack questions about Sergio, and the adults spoke over their heads.

"We have agreed to write daily," Diana informed them.

"We will help him with his letters and we'll include photographs and drawings," Aaron promised.

Handing Emily a packet, Diana whispered, "Here are a few I have written to get him started while we wait for the postal system to catch up."

Emily tucked the letters into her purse and pulled out a tissue to dab at her eyes.

Aaron patted her on the shoulder, asking Diana, "He took the news well?"

"As well as can be expected. He's not thrilled, eight weeks is a long time." Diana began to tear up again and Emily handed her a tissue.

"Spencer, do you have any questions about the move or living with Jack, Emily, or I?" Aaron asked softly.

The little boy shook his head, leaning against his mother, "No, but Emily said I can be happy and sad about it. Even at the same time."

Jack patted Spencer on the head, "I am happy and sad sometimes too. You are going to be my little brother now. If you want to but Daddy says if you don't want to be brothers, then we can be best friends."

"But we aren't related," Spencer said, "We can't be brothers, we don't have the same parents."

"Technically, you are correct, Spencer." Diana smiled at her son, "Family isn't just defined by biology. Our family was you, me, and Dad. Now your family is you and me, and Aaron, and Emily, and Jack. "

"And Aunt Jessica, and Grandmother Elizabeth, and Uncle Derek, and Aunt Penelope and Aunt JJ and Uncle Dave, and Henry and Uncle Will." Jack ran out of breath then added, "We have a big family."

Emily nodded at them, "Family is the people in your life who love you. If you want to be brothers…" She trailed off as Spencer bopped his head up and down.

"Brothers? Really?" Spencer asked and Jack bounced a little harder on the bed.

"Brothers!"

The boys high fived as Aaron captured the moment with his cell phone camera.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N:

Xeriscape - I swear I didn't make up this word. It is when you design a garden with plants that require little water. It's usually found in drought / desert like areas.

And google Leafy Sea Dragons - they look like seahorses made out of leaves. Very cool creatures.

To my guest reviewers - since you don't have accounts on I am so sad I can't reply to each of you individually; thank you so so much for your thoughtful and kind reviews.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

~~~~~CM~~~~~

They had said their tear filled goodbyes to Diana and packed up the safe house. Robert had instructed the movers to pack up Spencer's room and truck it to Virginia so there was no need to take Spencer back to his old home.

Aaron and Emily took the boys for ice cream and then to watch the water show at the Bellagio Hotel. They headed to the airport to fly home with the Ambassador.

"I thought the BAU jet was fancy," Aaron whispered to his wife. They had just buckled the boys into their seats and were enjoying a moment of quiet on a luxurious private plane.

Emily smiled serenely as she accepted a glass of pinot grigio from Boring Thing II (or was he Thing I?). The State Department representatives, with matching haircuts and similar jawlines, were catering to all their needs as well as the needs of Ambassador Prentiss.

Sitting near the boys, Elizabeth was filling them in on the snacks, movies, books, and games she had stocked on the plane for them. Boring Thing I was running to the back of the plane to get whatever the boys wanted.

"I know what you are thinking and you really should learn their names." Aaron admonished her.

"Pffft," She stuck her tongue out him, "I know their names, Stephen and Geoffrey. But I admit to not know which one is which."

"Stephen parts his hair to the right," Aaron smirked.

She laughed, "My right or his right?"

Flying home for us, Emily thought as she relaxed into her buttery soft leather chair, flying to a new life for Spencer.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Jack rambled non stop to Spencer on the car ride home. He covered toys, the backyard, best climbing trees at the park, the library puppet theater, his school, and his soccer team. Spencer was taking in the scenery as colorful trees flew by.

"Can I go to school? Do I have to play soccer? Isn't climbing trees dangerous?" The younger boy asked Jack.

Aaron smiled at Emily in the front seat as Jack answered, "You don't hafta play soccer. You get to pick whatever sport you want but you hafta go to school. You are smart so maybe you can be in my class even though I am older."

"Okay, but what about climbing trees? You could fall out and break your arm."

Jack began to holler and point out the window, "Look, that's our house. Look, Spencer, Look! See, it's blue like I told you."

Pulling into the driveway of the contemporary home, Aaron hit the button for the garage and drove in. He barely had the car in park before Jack was unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Come on, Spencer. Sergio is inside."

They couldn't help but laugh as the boys scrambled from the car and into the house.

"Poor Sergio," lamented Emily.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The house was spotless, Emily concluded that Penelope had cleaned their home while cat sitting.

Aaron held up a hot pink note from the kitchen counter, "You were right. She left us a note welcoming us and quote 'our junior genius' unquote home. She also did our grocery shopping and put several casseroles in the freezer."

Emily laughed as Aaron had made quotation marks with his fingers, pleased to see his sillier side.

"Dad! Emily! Come see!" Jack hollered from the family room, "Sergio loves Spencer. He licked his glasses!"

They spent the remainder of the day unpacking as Jack showed Spencer every nook and cranny in the house.

Aaron told Spencer that he could choose his own bedroom; the upstairs guest room that shared a bathroom with Jack or the downstairs bedroom. Neither of the adults were surprised when the four year old chose the bedroom next to Jack's.

"Robert is having the movers bring your stuff here. It should arrive next week. Until then, you have some clothes and toys or you can borrow from Jack," Emily told him.

Their home was filled with the sounds of giggling boys and thundering feet.

Emily was moving the wash to the dryer when Aaron came up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. "Mmm," she hummed happily.

He lifted her up and set her up on top of the washer, they kissed and then rested their foreheads together.

"I'm happy," he whispered.

"Me too. I think this is exactly what we needed, Aaron."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron returned to the office early the next morning; sneaking out before anyone was awake. The sound of the garage door opening and closing woke Emily up.

Padding into the kitchen, she silently thanked her husband for making coffee. She had just finished the last sip as Spencer walked into the kitchen.

"I can't find Aaron." He stated as he pushed his glasses up.

Emily had the urge to take a photo of the rumpled boy with his hair tousled and sleepy eyes, "He had to go to work this morning. We can call him on the phone. He's probably still driving into the office."

Spencer grabbed her phone off the counter and handed it to her, "Please."

"Hey Buddy," She pulled him into her lap, "You know that Aaron has an important job catching bad guys."

"Unknown subjects." He declared knowingly, "Or unsubs for short."

Emily kissed his head, "Yes, unsubs. Anyway, he might not be available to chat on the phone. But if he can talk, he will always want to talk to you."

She dialed the phone and handed it back to the boy.

"No, Aaron. I'm not Emily. This is Spencer."

She suppressed a giggle as she listened to Spencer's side of the conversation and carded her hand through his hair.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all so much for the support and reviews! :-)


	15. Chapter 15

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Spencer was still disappointed that he didn't get to see Aaron before he left for work. When Aaron couldn't give him an exact time that he would be home, Spencer grew sadder.

"Buddy, would you like to help me make waffles?" Emily asked the boy. She kept him busy pulling out ingredients for breakfast.

"Jack goes back to school tomorrow so why don't we think of something fun to do with him today, hmm?"

He moped as he measured out flour and baking powder, "Will Aaron stay home with me tomorrow?"

"No, Buddy. He has to work. But he will be with you every chance he gets and so will I," Emily reassured him.

After cracking the eggs into the mixture, she asked him to stir while she warmed up the waffle maker. He granted her a small smile after the first set of waffles came out golden brown.

With all the waffles made, they set the table together. Spencer giggled as Sergio jumped up on the table and tried to lick the butter.

Together, they climbed the stairs to Jack's room.

"Jack, it's time to wake up," Emily called out softly.

Spencer patted Jack on the arm, "Wake up, Jack. Emily and I made waffles."

After breakfast, Emily took the boys to the park where Jack showed Spencer the best climbing trees. Needless to say, Spencer was not impressed. He cited accident statistics until Emily guided him to the slide.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

By the afternoon, Emily was finding it difficult to keep the boys happy; both were pouting separately. She removed Spencer from the study where he was trying to read abnormal psychology books and encouraged him to try the books in Jack's room. Then Jack was upset because Spencer had declared Jack's books childish. By the time Emily had calmed Jack down and explained to Spencer why his words were hurtful, the garage door was opening.

"Oh no, dinner!" Emily exclaimed as she ran into down the stairs and into the kitchen. Aaron was opening the smoking oven to reveal an overly charred casserole as the fire alarm went off.

Jack began chanting for pizza, banging on the counter as Spencer climbed up Aaron's leg until he settled on Aaron's hip. Emily slid down to the floor and dropped her head back against the cabinet behind her.

Handing Jack his cell phone, the pizza app open, Aaron dropped a kiss on his forehead, "Can you order our usual, Jack?"

Carrying Spencer, Aaron crossed the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine. He placed Spencer on the counter as he opened the bottle and poured two glasses. "How was your day, Spencer?"

"I missed you," the boy pouted, giving Aaron his saddest puppy dog eyes.

Aaron handed Emily her wineglass, quirking his eyebrow, "Are you planning on staying on the floor for the rest of the evening?"

After a large gulp of merlot, Emily gave him the evil eye, "Yes."

"Come on, boys. Let's go have some guy time until the pizza arrives."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Emily finished relaying her day to Aaron and snuggled in tighter, "We need to find him age-appropriate books that are at an adult reading level. I guess I should start with Jack's school and go from there?"

"Yes, let's set up an appointment with the principal and make a plan. Maybe get in touch with his old tutor. Spencer loved the Percy Jackson books she gave him."

"Good idea. I am so scared of what tomorrow will bring," she confessed. "At least Jack will be at school for most of the day so they can't fight."

The next morning, Spencer was up before Emily. She found him and Aaron having breakfast in the kitchen, the little boy chattering a million miles a minute. She poured herself a mug of coffee and refilled Aaron's cup before joining them.

After Aaron headed to work, she asked Spencer to dress himself while she got Jack up for school. It was another hour before Jack was fed, dressed, and gathered all his assignments in his Spiderman folder.

Spencer held her hand tightly as they walked Jack to his classroom, taking in everything from the other students to the posters decorating the hall. Noting his gaze lingered on the library, Emily made a point to take him in to meet the school librarian.

"Hello Mrs. Carter, this is Spencer Reid," Emily introduced them, feeling proud of small boy's formal handshake. "This young man is an advanced reader but we are struggling to find a book appropriate to his maturity level. Can you make some recommendations?"

Mrs. Carter spent the next thirty minutes discussing fiction and nonfiction books with the four year old until he had a large pile of books on varying topics. "You know Spencer, I would love it if you come by and let me know what you think of the books."

On their way out of the school, they stopped by the office to make an appointment with the principal. Emily hoped they could create a custom program for the young genius.

Emily and Spencer filled the remainder of the afternoon penning a long letter to his mother and reading to Sergio.

After picking up Jack from school, the boys raced around the house then the backyard while Emily cooked dinner. Happy she didn't burn it, she left it in the oven to stay warm while she tried to get the boys inside for homework.

Spencer worked on his penmanship with a list of eighth grade spelling words while Jack did his worksheets. Emily was pleased to see Spencer helping the older boy without being unconsciously rude.

When Aaron arrived home, Emily was smug, "I've got this motherhood thing nailed down."

She was not appreciative of his "wait until you are back at work" remark, assigning him the dishes as she went upstairs to hustle the boys in and out of their showers.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: A little domesticity for you all! Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron was concerned about Emily. She was trying so hard to be a perfect wife, mother, and housekeeper that she was going to burn herself out. She was working from home a few hours a day but soon she would be returning to work full time. Being a mother to two boys was taxing but Emily was determined to prove her worth. Not to him, but to herself. He had to find a way to make things easier on her.

Taking a few days off here and there weren't going to cut it, this was going to be harder than he thought. Aaron had always prided himself on being a full partner as a husband and father, doing dishes and laundry, attending school meetings, and coaching soccer. But Haley had always done more, Emily the same. His wives had handled scheduling, shopping, menu planning, doctor appointments, house cleaning, and so much more. And Emily was still working a demanding job on top of everything.

"Jess, do you have time to talk?" Aaron phoned his sister in law, asking her to meet at a coffee shop near the FBI campus.

He laid out his concerns, bearing his insecurities, "I don't want to fail Emily like I did Haley."

Keeping her expression neutral, Jess sipped at her coffee while he spoke. When Aaron finished, she smiled gently at him, "Emily and Haley are different people. You cannot treat them the same or alter your behavior because Haley didn't like something."

She held up her hand when he attempted to speak, "Aaron, this is something you have to ask Emily. Ask her how you can be more helpful or take on more of the burden. She's so strong willed, she might not be ready to admit she needs help."

Aaron nodded, "I know I should talk to her but I started to doubt myself."

"Your life has had a lot of upheaval. You are newly married and just took on responsibility for Spencer. You might need a break now and then, Aaron." Jess smiled, "I'm happy to babysit any time. Even with Emily's reduced hours, she could always take a break."

"Thanks, Jess."

Suddenly she clapped her hands, "And get a cleaning service, like twice a month. Between the two boys and your travel schedule, Emily will end up constantly cleaning. It's not that expensive but it will make life easier for all of you."

Bussing a kiss on her cheek, Aaron thanked her again.

Heading home, he planned out his talk with Emily to ensure she was not overwhelmed.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"Oh good, you're home," Emily called out as she heard the garage door shut downstairs.

Aaron jogged up up the stairs to Spencer's room where Emily was trying to wedge the dresser out of the room by herself, "Em!" He grabbed the other side and helped her carry it out into the hallway.

"The movers confirmed they will arrive by six tonight," she smiled at him over the top of the dresser, "I got everything into the basement except for this heavy thing."

Rolling his eyes at her, Aaron couldn't help himself from admonishing her, "This ' _thing_ ' must weigh fifty pounds. Were you really going to move it to the basement by yourself?"

"I'm not an idiot, Aaron," Emily smacked his hand resting on top of the dresser, "I was just going to move it to our room until you got home. I wanted Spencer's room empty so everything could go straight in."

Together, they carried the dresser to the basement, leaving it along the far wall with the dismantled guest bed and nightstand.

Aaron looked around the quiet house, "Where are the boys?"

"Playing with magic sand in the backyard," Emily pointed to the back door.

Peeking out, he saw the boys digging and building in plastic tubs on the patio. Jack was talking as Spencer listened, nodding along, "they are getting along today."

"Yes, but I think Spencer is jealous that Jack gets to go to school. He's been peppering him with questions all afternoon," Emily bustled around the kitchen, starting dinner.

"Let me take over dinner. You take a break," he spoke hastily as he took the pan from her hand.

Raising her eyebrow, Emily leveled him with a look, "what's going on, Aaron?"

Aaron wondered where to start; he didn't want to upset her nor did he want her to think that he didn't think that she could take care of their family. He definitely didn't want to mention his failed marriage to Haley or that he had discussed their private relationship with Jess. Groaning, he sat down at the kitchen counter, dropping his head into his hands.

Crossing behind him, Emily began to rub his shoulders, "Babe?"

"I don't want to fail you," he confessed, his voice broken as he tried to hold back the barrage of self doubt swirling around in his head.

She squeezed his shoulders lightly then tugged at him lightly until he had turned around on the stool. Lifting his chin up, Emily placed a soft kiss on his lips, "can you start at the beginning?"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Hours passed before they had an opportunity to talk about what was bothering Aaron. First, the boys burst in the house, begging for a snack and then fighting over the last of the chips, then Amara's family texted to see if they could set up a video call with Spencer in an hour.

Aaron and Emily worked together to start dinner but the movers arrived before they could finish. Placing Aaron in charge of dinner, Emily showed the movers around as she tried to keep Jack and Spencer from tripping the workmen.

It took forever to calm the hyper boys after they chatted with Amara. Spencer had given the Spanish girl a tour of his new house and introduced her to both Jack and Sergio. Emily promised future calls with Amara and to get in touch with Tarik and Frederick's parents just to get the boys in pajamas.

Finally in bed, Aaron shared his thoughts with Emily, "I was worried about you. That you are working so hard and I am not doing my fair share. I don't want you to become overwhelmed by the boys, the house, and working."

Emily struggled with the blanket before pulling her legs free and straddling him. She cupped his face and kissed him lightly. "I am working really hard right now and there are going to be times when I will be overwhelmed."

"I want to be sure I don't fail you, Em. That I don't fail our family."

"Aaron," she interrupted, "When we got married, we promised to always be honest with each other. I promise you that if I feel overwhelmed, I will tell you."

Leaning up, he kissed her deeply, "And if I don't pull my fair share?"

"Then I will have to spank you."

"Kinky."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews. For those inquiring about Spencer's schooling, it will come up in the next chapter and continue into several chapters as he is a unique student.


	17. Chapter 17

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The first week home, the family fell into a routine. Each morning, Aaron left for work while everyone was still asleep; Spencer woke up as the garage door closed and used Emily's phone to call him. They chatted until Aaron arrived at work. By then, Emily would be making breakfast while Jack got ready for school.

After Jack was dropped off at his classroom, Spencer would visit the librarian and exchange the books from the prior day. Emily used this time to meet with the teachers and counselors to customize a program for Spencer. Confident with what she was seeing from the school, Emily completed the enrollment paperwork and wrote out a sizeable check for tuition.

Once they returned home, Emily would hand Spencer a letter from his mother then help him write a reply. Snacks and playtime were followed by reading while Emily worked for two hours.

After lunch, there was more reading and working for Spencer and Emily respectively until it was time to pick up Jack.

Once Jack was home, they enjoyed a snack together before playing outside. Emily used that time to check emails and prep for dinner.

Aaron arrived home at five, files stuffed into his briefcase. He helped Emily with dinner while Jack and Spencer chattered about their day.

The family settled in for a TV show, then homework, showers, and reading. The parents trading off with each boy nightly. Once the boys were in bed, Aaron pulled out the BAU files while Emily worked alongside him in the study.

Locking up the house, Aaron remarked that he was worried about Spencer's upcoming appointment with Jack's therapist.

"Yes, I am worried as well," Emily led the way up the stairs and into their bedroom, "he needs to talk about the kidnapping and losing his father. He is going to start school on Monday, do you think it's going to be too much for him?"

Shrugging, Aaron popped his head into Jack's room and then Spencer's to make sure they were still asleep. Changing into pajamas, he added, "Penelope wants to meet him and JJ asked to set up a playdate with Henry. Perhaps we start with Dr. Beck and school before overwhelming him with anything else."

"Spencer would like to start swimming lessons here and he convinced Jack that he needed to as well," Emily laughed as she told Aaron about Spencer's lecture to Jack on drowning prevention.

They climbed into bed, both their thoughts consumed by how much their little family had going on.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

It was Spencer's first day of school and the four year old could not settle down. He stood silently next to Aaron's side of the bed for several minutes before the seasoned FBI agent startled, jerking awake with his arms flailing.

Emily woke to Spencer's giggles and the shaking of the bed.

"It's the first day of school. We need to make breakfast and get dressed and make sure my backpack has everything. What about lunch? Do I need to bring a lunch or will I have school lunch like Jack?"

Aaron spent several minutes trying to convince Spencer to go back to bed before Emily suggested that they tuck the little boy in with them until 6:30 am. Snuggled between Emily and Aaron, Spencer rambled for a while before a large yawn interrupted him.

"Hush now, buddy," Aaron whispered, cuddling him close.

The trio woke two hours later to the alarm clock. Spencer bounced off to wake Jack and interrogate him about school lunch.

At school, Jack promised to say hi to Spencer if he saw him in the hallways but he sadly told him that they would not be sharing recess time. Aaron exchanged a smile with Emily as the six year old wished the younger boy a good day.

With Spencer walking between them, his galaxy themed backpack more than half his size, covering him from his neck to the back of his knees. He had been adamant that his backpack be a plain color or realistic, and he glared at Jack when the first grader recommended that he get a matching Captain America bag.

Arriving at the pre-Kindergarten room, Spencer pulled closer to Aaron as Emily opened the door. Mrs. Chen welcomed them and introduced Spencer to the children sitting around the alphabet carpet. Aaron walked Spencer forward and gestured for him to join the other children.

"Spencer, please choose a letter to sit on," instructed Mrs. Chen.

He glanced around at the open letters before choosing the letter L.

"Wonderful," the teacher said, "we are sharing words we know that start with the letter we are sitting on today. Once we are done, we are going to music class. Now, Maddie, can you tell us a word that starts with P."

A tiny girl with pigtails sounded out the letter P, "Puh, puh, puh. Pig starts with P."

All the children participated, all choosing an animal, including Spencer who shared the word Lion along with its scientific name, Panthera leo. Another girl, with a halo of reddish curls, giggled and nodded as if she understood.

Emily nudged Aaron with her elbow, "I'll bet that's the other child in the customized program with Spencer."

As the children were herded down the hall to the music room, Emily reminded Spencer that they were going to meet with the other teachers. Spencer's lower lip quivered and his eyes began to fill with tears until Aaron distracted him with the time on his phone, "30 minutes, buddy, and we will be together again. Okay?"

Spencer gave slight nod before hesitantly following Mrs. Chen into the music room.

Aaron and Emily headed to a windowless but bright room attached to the library. The room had several computers on low desks and a round table with short and tall chairs. The walls were covered in posters and bookcases brimming with books.

"Mrs. Vicks, this is my husband, Aaron," Emily introduced Spencer's main teacher.

The tall brunette shook hands with both Emily and Aaron before asking them to sit at the table, "Welcome. I just wanted to give you an overview of Spencer's schedule. It's important to ensure he spends time with his own age group despite his advanced studies. In the mornings, he will start out with his class then attend specials such as music, art, library, etc. Then he will join the other students in here for their specialized program."

Nodding along as she spoke, Aaron asked if the other students were Spencer's age.

"We do have one other four year old in here along with four other students, an eight year old, a nine year old and two ten year olds." Mrs. Vicks continued, "Spencer will rejoin his class for lunch and recess before returning to me for the remainder of the day."

The teacher reviewed the lesson plans that she, Emily, the librarian, and Spencer's old tutor, Anna, had constructed for Spencer, "Anna is simply delightful; she has emailed all of the past work they completed along with suggestions that suit Spencer's interests."

"Yes, Anna has been amazing. Did she tell you that she was accepted into the Master's program? She will be specializing in Exceptional Learners in Elementary Education," Emily gushed.

The group chatted until it was time to retrieve Spencer from Music class.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"Did you like Mrs. Chen? I went to a different school for pre-kindergarten so my teacher was Miss Amber. Mrs. Chen is smiley; I like teachers that are smiley," Jack swung from the monkey bars as he questioned Spencer.

The four year old stood under the bars, his arms held high as if to catch Jack should he fall, "She was nice. So was Mrs. Vicks and Mr. Ashland."

"I don't know Mrs. Vicks but Mr. Ashland is my music teacher. He lets us sing in funny voices and play with all the different instruments."

Standing nearby, Aaron enjoyed watching the boys play at the park. Emily had dropped them off to enjoy the sunny afternoon while she tackled her emails at home. She was heading back to the office the next day as Spencer would be settled at school.

As the boys raced off to the main playground structure, Aaron followed behind. He debated sitting down on the bench but Jack called out for him to join them. Soon, Aaron was crossing the wobbly bridge and trying to fit into the narrow twisty slide alongside his children. Children, he reminded himself, not child. His family had grown and he couldn't be happier.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and favoriting this story. I truly appreciate it.

I am on Tumblr if you want to chat, GooGodHenry.


	18. Chapter 18

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"Hello Robert," Aaron called Diana's guardian to discuss her current situation.

"Aaron, how is Spencer? How is everyone getting along?"

Unable to help himself, Aaron smiled as he talked about the boys, "They are either playing well together or fighting like cats and dogs."

"Like brothers, then," Robert's voice lost its levity, "I have been talking to Dr. Norman. Diana is not doing well and he is concerned about moving her."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Not really. Dr. Norman is recommending we wait for this bad spell to end before moving her. I am flying back to Vegas tomorrow and I will stay until she is well enough to travel." The older man snorted, "did you know she is terrified of flying on top of everything?"

Later that evening, Aaron and Emily asked Jack to play in his room while they told Spencer that it would be a little longer for his mother to come to Virginia.

Spencer nodded knowingly but he found himself sobbing in Aaron's arms not a moment later. When he calmed down a few minutes later, he asked to be excused.

Emily watched as the little boy solemnly climbed the stairs towards his bedroom, "should we tell him to write in his journal like Dr. Beck recommended? Or should we have him do a drawing?"

"He needs to process this first," Aaron tucked her into his side and kissed her head.

After twenty minutes of worrying her hands, Emily tiptoed up the stairs to check on Spencer. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she texted Aaron to join her upstairs quietly.

They stood in the hallway and listened to Jack and Spencer talk. Aaron snuck a peek and found the boys were laying on their tummies looking through Jack's journal.

"See, this is how I feel when I miss my mom," Jack pointed to a darkly colored picture of a frowning boy.

"I'm not sad, I am MAD."

The sound of paper ripping had Aaron stepping forward but Emily stopped him with a light touch on his arm.

"It's okay to rip up paper," Jack told the younger boy, "but I have something that makes me feel better."

The boys exited Spencer's room through their shared bathroom. Aaron stepped into Spencer's bedroom to find the four year old had torn up pages from his own journal, leaving Jack's on the floor.

In Jack's room, the boys were pulling apart putty as Jack explained it, "You can rip it or pound on it or stretch it. But don't put in on the carpet and stomp it cause that gets you in trouble."

Emily smiled at Aaron, remembering how long it took to get the putty out of the carpet last year, "Come on, Babe. Let's leave them be for now."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron stood at the window at Dr. Beck's office watching the boys in the playroom. The doctor waited for Aaron to speak but after several minutes of silence, she stepped up alongside him and asked how things were going.

He shook his head while shrugging, "I thought things were getting better. We have a routine: school, playtime, homework, family dinners. Spencer and Jack are both coming in for their sessions but the past week, everything has been falling apart."

"What is going on?"

"Spencer won't talk about his dad, he is angry with both Emily and I as his mom isn't moving here until next month and he blames us. Jack misses his mom and he's having nightmares again. All he wants to do is watch home movies of her for hours. He doesn't want me to go to work nor does he want Emily to cuddle him. And Emily is blaming herself for everything."

Aaron knew what Dr. Beck was going to say before she even said it; he himself needed to go back to his own therapist and that healing isn't linear.

He made an appointment while Jack was in his session and Spencer was enthralled with Ripley's Believe It or Not book and their spread about bizarre animals. When they returned home, he was going to recommend that Emily make visit her own doctor.

With all the tension and sadness, Aaron was not keen on Penelope's idea of a team party. He was surprised when Emily agreed.

"But Em, our schedules are a disaster between all the therapy appointments. I am thinking of putting the team on stand down or taking a leave."

Emily waited until he looked at her before she spoke, "maybe you should take leave for a few weeks but that doesn't mean we keep putting our lives on hold. We are all miserable anyway, this will be a nice break and Spencer will finally get to meet Henry."

Sitting down on his side of the bed, Aaron dropped his head into his hands, "you think I should take leave."

"It's not a bad idea. Maybe while we get things under control," Emily rubbed his shoulder before sliding her hand up into his hair, scratching lightly, "I know you are struggling with Jack's regression and you've not been feeling like yourself."

Aaron made an exasperated sound before relaxing into Emily's touch, "I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to make any decisions now." She smirked and tickled him lightly, "We do need to plan a BAU party though, so relaxation time is over, Mister!"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Despite the dumpster fire that is their lives, Emily thought, a dose of Penelope Garcia is always welcome. Her friend entered their home with her arms filled with goodies and cheerful greetings.

"Here, Em, take these," Penelope shoved her shopping bags into Emily's arms before trotting back out the front door, "I have more in the car."

Within minutes, the boys were swept up in Hurricane Penelope, sticking decorations on the walls and trying to blow up balloons. Despite Aaron stretching the balloons and demonstrating how to blow into them slowly, the boys spit all over the balloons, often sending them to the floor with the force of their breath. Emily couldn't help but laugh at Aaron's face as he touched a wet and deflated balloon.

After JJ and Will arrived with Henry, the excitable boys were tasked with cupcake decorating.

Spencer quieted down and slowly edged away from the blond boy his own age until he was behind Jack.

Emily watched as Jack handled introductions, "Henry, this is Spencer. He is my new little brother."

Henry peeked around Jack and waved.

Emily and JJ settled the boys at the kitchen table with their supplies.

Henry asked if he could use the blue frosting and blue candies on his cupcake. Spencer slid over the blue tube and watched as Henry squirted frosting all over the cupcake and his hands. Giggles escaped from all three boys as the adults watched over them.

When Derek and Dave arrived, the men migrated to the backyard with the boys as JJ, Penelope, and Emily settled down in the kitchen with a bottle of wine.

"Why does this always happen? We end up in a kitchen with wine while the men play with the grill." JJ asked.

"I wanna know why Hotch is acting all squirrely," Penelope gestured towards the door, "He scheduled a meeting with Strauss. Voluntarily!"

Emily smiled sadly, swirling the wine in her glass, "he is asking to take parental leave for a month. He needs it as much as the boys do."

Nodding, JJ reached out and gave Emily's arm a light squeeze.

"Oh, my poor little boys and poor Hotch. How are you doing?"

"Not great but knowing that Aaron is home with the boys makes it so much easier for me to go to work," Emily took a few sips before adding that she was back in therapy. "I thought I had everything under control but nothing is going well."

Penelope and JJ left their seats to surround Emily, hugging her tightly.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: A happy sad chapter.

I feel like Oprah: You get a therapist and you get a therapist! Everyone gets a therapist!

The putty Jack introduces Spencer to is called Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty. It's expensive but amazing. I get it for my kids so I can play with it.


	19. Chapter 19

~~~~~CM~~~~~

With each member of the family in weekly therapy sessions, working or going to school, the Hotchner/Prentiss/Reid family had very little time for much else, especially grocery shopping.

Aaron added two gallons of milk to the cart and navigated around the narrow dairy section trying to avoid the other harried shoppers so he could reach the eggs. He blinked at the display of butter, did they need butter? Or was that last week?

He could honestly say he was looking forward to his leave. As much as he loved his job, his family had to come first. Plus, Derek was always looking to take on more responsibility so he didn't feel guilty for being away from the team, at least that's what he told himself.

Deciding it couldn't hurt to have extra butter, he grabbed some and made his way to the check out stand.

Arriving at home, Emily helped him unload the groceries as Spencer chatted with his friend, Tarik, on the computer in the study.

Preparing dinner together, Emily handled the sauce while he chopped the vegetables. He couldn't help but check the clock. Jess should be bringing Jack home any minute now.

"Emily, I need help!" Spencer shouted from the other room, "What does kütüphane mean? Tarik keeps talking about kitap too."

Aaron took over stirring as Emily went to help Spencer translate Turkish words. He was lost in thought when he heard knock before the front door unlocked.

"Dad!" Jack raced into the kitchen with his aunt following behind at a sedate pace, "Grandpa showed me how to use a drill!"

"An electric screwdriver, Jack-Jack," Jess clarified to Aaron's relief.

After hugging his father around the legs, he raced off to tell Spencer about his day.

Returning from the study, Emily also received a quick hug around the legs as Jack sped off.

"Jess, will you stay for dinner?" Aaron asked his sister in law.

She agreed to stay, setting the table as Aaron and Emily finished cooking.

Over dinner, Jack filled his family in on his day with his grandfather, "He said that he will get me my own toolbox for my birthday. And he's gonna teach me how to make a birdhouse."

"Power tools are dangerous," Spencer informed them.

Aaron smiled indulgently as the boys chattered, wondering if Roy would ever include Spencer in future family get togethers or if he would ignore Jack's new little brother.

As if she could read his mind, Jess nodded at him, "My dad would like to extend an invitation to Spencer next time Jack comes to visit." She paused and then added in a soft undertone, "Sorry, Aaron, he hasn't changed his mind."

Not surprised, Aaron gave a short nod. He was well aware that his father in law still blamed him for Haley's death. Hell, even with all the therapy over the last three years, he still blamed himself.

Emily cleared her throat and asked Jess about her job to give him a minute to pull himself together.

"So, you start your leave tomorrow?" Jess asked Aaron as she helped the boys clear the table.

"Yes, four weeks at home," he set the pans in the sink to soak, "it will be a nice break."

Twin snorts escaped from Emily and Jess. He turned around and found them both staring at him incredulously.

"I'll bet you will be begging to go back to work in two weeks," his wife smirked.

"He won't make it a full week," Jess teased him.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron still went for his morning run but instead of a suit, he dressed in jeans and t-shirt. He tackled breakfast while chatting with Spencer.

The little boy was thrilled to be having his morning conversation with Aaron but instead of talking on the phone while Aaron commuted to work; he got to sit on the counter and help him cook.

Emily ran through the kitchen in a bathrobe, her soaking wet hair wrapped in a towel, grabbing a cup of coffee before heading back up the stairs to wake Jack up for school.

Aaron plated breakfast as Jack appeared with bedhead and a sign-up sheet.

"Where's Emily? I need to sign up to bring a snack for the school festival."

"I'll take that, Jack," Aaron tried to pat Jack's hair down, "eat your breakfast."

He sent Spencer upstairs to get dressed while he looked at the sign-up sheet, "Do you want to bring juice boxes, cookies, fruits, or pretzels?"

"Juice boxes!" Jack announced around a mouthful of eggs.

"Please don't talk with food in your mouth," Aaron admonished, "I'll pick up some juice boxes next time I go to the store. Do you want grape or apple?'

Sounds of an argument upstairs distracted Aaron; he looked at Jack who shrugged, "Emily and Spencer fight about what he wants to wear to school every morning."

After agreeing that Spencer could wear a thick striped sweater and plaid shorts but not sandals, Emily made grabby hands at the coffee pot. Aaron refilled her mug as she pulled a comb from her pocket. She wet it in the sink before combing Jack's cowlicks into submission.

"Where's the sign up sheet?" She asked Jack.

"Dad is going to buy juice," Jack pulled the wrinkled paper from his backpack, "See!"

Emily smoothed out the paper and placed it in a folder in Jack's bag before addressing Aaron, "make sure you get organic juice without any high fructose corn syrup. And can you make dentist appointments for the boys?"

"No problem," he kissed her cheek as she hollered goodbye to Spencer.

"Thanks, Babe! And do not let Spencer wear his sandals!" She reminded him as she left for work.

Aaron asked Jack to get dressed while he helped Spencer pack multiple books into his overstuffed bag. He intended to drop the boys off however he ended up volunteering for Jack's class as the regular parent volunteer was ill. As he was heading out of the school, Mrs. Vicks stopped him to share how Spencer was doing.

After a session with his therapist, Aaron managed to get a load of laundry done while eating a peanut butter sandwich, "grape juice, grape jelly, I really need to make a list." He made dentist appointments as he drove back to the school to pick up the boys.

They were sitting in the barbershop as Emily called.

"How was your first day of leave?"

"Busy. We are about to get haircuts."

"Great, I'm on my way home. I'll start dinner."

Aaron and Jack planned on getting their regular haircuts but Spencer was still smarting after his last haircut when they had arrived in Virginia a month ago. It had left him with short curls and he was not pleased.

"Spencer, we will tell Mr. John that you want your curls to grow out but let him give you a trim."

Crossing his arms, Spencer glared at Aaron, "No, thank you. I do not want a haircut."

Jack offered to go first when their names were called, giving Aaron time to talk with Spencer.

"You don't have to get a haircut if you don't want to, Buddy," he pulled the boy into his lap and cuddled him.

Later that evening, Aaron climbed into bed, groaning about how he wanted to go back to work.

"He is the most stubborn person I have ever met," Aaron complained, "I have noticed that in the end, he always gets his way. Even Mrs. Vicks commented on that this morning. She said he was thriving with the schoolwork but that he was single-minded and tenacious. I think that is teacher-speak for obstinate."

Emily laughed merrily, "he is a challenge for sure, from want he wants to wear to the order of doing things and how he sets up his meals."

Use to most of Spencer's habits, Aaron couldn't figure out why he had thrown a fit about his shoes, "He is peculiar with his food and studies but what was up with the sandals this morning?"

"He gets gravel from the playground in them and spends all of recess digging them out. Mrs. Chen thinks it's to avoid playing with the other kids. She and Mrs. Vick want to meet for a conference about socializing."

Sliding close, he dropped his arm around Emily's middle and sighed, "we expected that; his only interactions with other children were during his kidnapping and then Jack."

"At least he is talking to us again," Emily said drowsily.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N:

Turkish words from Google Translate - kütüphane - library, kitnap - book


	20. Chapter 20

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron's first week of leave was filled with errands, dentist appointments, and numerous trips to the grocery store. He was much more appreciative of Emily's contributions to manage their family. Now, she was able to come home from work and relax rather than run around trying to get everything done.

Jack was doing better as his nightmares had diminished. They still continued his weekly therapy sessions and he was making a list of summer activities including swimming, soccer, and trips to the zoo, the waterpark, camping, and Disney World. Aaron had no idea how Disney ended up on the list.

Spencer was eager to please at school and headstrong at home. While Dr. Beck reminded them that he was acting out because he felt safe, Aaron couldn't help but doubt their progress. It felt like they were moving backward. He couldn't wait for Diana Reid's arrival in Virginia.

The team seemed to be managing well under Derek's guidance; only one panicked call regarding the budgeting process so far.

Sitting down with a cup of coffee, Aaron mentally reviewed his to-do list: transfer money into the boys' lunch accounts, sign up Jack for the summer soccer league, sign up both boys for swim lessons, and review the summer camp options.

He sipped his coffee as he pulled up the school website. He added money to the lunch accounts and filled out the form for the soccer team. Aaron's thoughts began to wander to the conference with Spencer's teachers scheduled for the next morning. Were they pushing the four year old too much? As much as Aaron wanted to keep Spencer with him until Diana arrived and things settled down, he knew how much Spencer loved school. The set routines, the class work that challenged his mind, the independence. Spencer needs those to be happy.

Getting back on track, Aaron reviewed the summer camp choices and debated just picking the school's summer program as Jack had enjoyed it last year.

After school, he took the boys to the recreation center to test for swim lesson levels. Shuffling the boys into the locker room, he had them change in swimsuits and place their clothes in a locker. Aaron held back a laugh as Spencer walked slowly around the pool and held the railing as he descended the stairs into the water. He thought he would prefer it if Jack followed the rules as closely as Spencer.

Aaron's hand on Jack's shoulder prevented the older boy from running to the pool. He released him at the edge where Jack hollered "cannonball" before jumping into the water with a big splash. Ten minutes later, their teenage instructor joined him alongside the pool as the boys played in the shallow end.

"Both the boys will do great in the Stingray group. They can do a front crawl, back crawl, and are comfortable in the deep water," Omar pushed his long wet hair from his face, "the lessons will get them into a very basic freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke but mainly we work on rotary breathing."

"Great, I will get them signed up for the next session," Aaron shook the teen's hand and resumed watching the boys splash each other.

An hour later, the boys were dressed and had their damp towels hanging over their shoulders as Aaron guided them from the locker room to the main area. Spencer stopped short as he saw a martial arts class filled with children.

"Look, Aaron!" Spencer's face and hands were smushed against the classroom window, "That's Maeve from my class at school."

Jack squeezed in next to Spencer as Aaron looked over their heads to see a tiny red headed girl replicating the routine along with a dozen other children.

"Karate is so cool, Dad!" Jack exclaimed, "Can Spencer and I sign up?"

Spencer nodded emphatically, "Please?"

"Let's talk about it with Emily tonight but no promises. We have too much on our plates right now," Aaron allowed them to watch for a few more minutes before they headed home.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Emily took the morning off so she could meet with Spencer's teachers. Still having to dress for work, she took her time before going downstairs to see her boys, smiling at the thought of 'her' boys, for breakfast. Aaron was helping Jack pour milk into their cereal bowls while Spencer placed sliced fruit and toast on the table. After taking charge of the drinks, Emily sat down waited until everyone joined her.

Gathering backpacks, water bottles, and snacks, the family was finally ready for school. Realizing that Emily would not be riding in the same car as Aaron, Jack asked to ride in her car, "Come on, Emily, let's beat Dad and Spencer."

"It's not a race, Jack," Aaron admonished him but Jack didn't seem to care.

Aaron graciously took his time buckling up so Emily pulled out of the garage first. Arriving at the school a full minute before his father, Jack pumped his fist in the air.

The boys were sent to class while Aaron and Emily went to the conference room by the front office.

Mrs. Vicks greeted them, "Thank you both for coming. Mrs. Chen will be here in a moment. She has to get her class settled with the assistant teacher."

They all settled into chairs and Mrs. Vicks passed them a folder of Spencer's classwork to review.

"Sorry, I'm late," Mrs. Chen was breathless as she hustled into the room, "let's get started."

The two teachers covered Spencer's academics as well as his fine motor skills for handwriting before addressing their concerns.

"Spencer prefers not to participate with the class nor will he engage in play or conversation with his classmates," Mrs. Chen told them, "he will answer if you ask him a question directly but he is not prone to talk during sharing time."

Nodding along, Mrs. Vicks agreed, "even in our small group, he will not talk with the other students. He is visibly uncomfortable."

"You should see the poor little dude at recess," Mrs. Chen added, "he hangs back until he is last in line and then will wander around the edges of the playground."

Saddened, Emily reached for Aaron's hand. She hadn't realized that Spencer was so painfully shy, "it's worse than I thought."

Mrs. Vicks smiled, "It's not so bad, honestly. We just want to ensure he works on his social skills so he is more comfortable at school. We don't want to change who he is."

"We are continuing with his schedule as it is now to encourage communication and cooperation. I have several activities that I will introduce to the class regarding empathy and how to be a friend," Mrs. Chen pulled several sheets of paper from her folder, "here are a few things that I will be adding in the mornings."

Emily flipped through the informational sheets and passed them to Aaron.

"Spencer excels at individual work so I am going to pair him with another child for a joint project. They will need to work together to determine the best method of completing the assignment. I believe Maeve would be a good partner. She is quite focused," Mrs. Vicks sent a significant look to Mrs. Chen.

Under the narrowed eyes of the FBI agents, Mrs. Chen let a laugh escape, "Maeve is very sweet but shy as well. She struggles with making friends so this arrangement will benefit both children."

Nodding along, Aaron asked, "As you know, Spencer likes his routine and his independent study. Will this joint project change his schedule significantly?"

"Not really. This project will be in the same thirty minute period that the children are using for library research time. I will pair Spencer and Maeve just as I group the older three students. They will have time for individual work but will need to cooperate to complete the project. The students will have a choice in their subject matter."

They finished up their meeting, Emily and Aaron headed to the parking lot. Leaning against her sedan, Emily pulled Aaron into a long hug before leaving for work.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thanks to ahowell1993 for suggesting Maeve as a potential friend for Spencer. She will be featured a little bit in future chapters.


	21. Chapter 21

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Diana Reid had finally arrived at the sanitarium in Virginia, a forty-five minute drive from their home. Aaron and Emily had debated telling Spencer but they opted to wait until she was settled and ready for visitors.

The next day, Aaron invited Robert over so they could catch up before the boys were done with school. Over coffee, he asked about Diana's transition.

"She did great on the flight despite being unhappy about having to travel by plane. Her room is set up without any electronics and we unpacked her books and journals last night. I had breakfast with her this morning and she is doing fine."

Relieved, Aaron asked when they could take Spencer for a visit.

"You know she wanted to see him last night but she needed to settle in. How about we check in with her tomorrow morning?" Robert got more comfortable on the couch, "how is Spencer doing?"

Aaron shrugged, weighing the good and the bad in his mind, "He is dealing with so much and lots of changes. He loves schoolwork and his teachers but isn't doing well socially. He's happy here, adores Jack but he's still upset with Emily and I. He's in therapy to deal with his father's death, the kidnapping, and moving here. He's only four, Robert."

"You know I have read every letter Spencer has sent. He talks about your family and your cat. He talks about school and wanting to take swim lessons. He told me that he has been talking with his friends around the world and making a new friend named Henry," Robert leaned forward, "He is four and he's been through so much but he is healing."

Feeling a little better, Aaron relaxed a bit.

"So, is it you or Emily who has kindly translated Spencer's chicken scratch on the back of his letters?"

A deep rumble of laughter escaped from Aaron, "I didn't realize Emily was even doing that. Spencer's teachers would like to set him up with occupational therapy to improve his fine motor skills."

Robert accompanied Aaron to the school to pick up the boys. Spencer's excitement was contagious and both boys hugged the older man enthusiastically. They invited him to play in the backyard, tour their home, and meet their cat. Robert nodded good-naturedly, not telling them that Sergio had already introduced himself by winding around his legs most of the day.

He handed out small gifts and candy to the boys before joining them in the backyard for an adventure.

Despite chattering at Robert all afternoon, the boys continued filling him in on everything over dinner. Both Emily and Aaron noticed Robert's indulgent smile as he talked with the boys.

After dinner, Robert headed to his hotel, promising to call them in the morning with Diana's condition. The adults were hopeful that Spencer could visit his mother.

Jack settled down in front of the tv to play video games while Spencer laid on the family room floor, flipping through a children's encyclopedia on dinosaurs.

Aaron and Emily tackled the dishes in the kitchen with Aaron washing and Emily handling the drying.

"It's like the boys have another grandfather now," Aaron commented.

"Well, since Spencer hasn't met Roy yet, this is his first experience with a grandfather figure," Emily interrupted herself, "Oh Aaron, I totally distracted by Robert's visit. I spoke with Anna today."

"How is she? Her graduation is coming up soon, right?" Aaron asked about Spencer's old tutor.

"Yes, and she is looking for a family to nanny for in Vegas until she can start her Master's program in the fall."

"Oh," Aaron turned from the sink to look at his wife, "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

Emily nodded, "It might be the best solution."

"Do you think she would be uncomfortable with a live-in position?"

"Nope, she was hoping for one as she wasn't planning on continuing her lease with her roommate moving out."

"A summer nanny," Aaron returned to scrubbing the pot, "can you call her tonight?"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Robert called during breakfast with good news; after two long months, Diana was ready to be reunited with Spencer.

Aaron and Emily shared the news with the boys when they finished eating. Spencer was ecstatic, running for the door in his pajamas and slippers.

"Wait, Spencer," Aaron called out as Jack giggled.

After dressing hastily, Spencer carried his sneakers to the garage door as Emily chased after him with a hairbrush. Aaron was thankful that he had showered and dressed before breakfast so he didn't mind rushing out of the house.

"I'll see you later, Jack," Aaron dropped a kiss on the top of Jack's head and told Emily he would call her with an update. Confirming Spencer was buckled into his booster seat, Aaron backed out of the garage.

As they drove, Spencer struggled to put his shoes on, "Aaron, how long will it take to get to the sanitarium?"

"About forty-five minutes without traffic," Aaron could see Spencer swinging his legs in the rearview mirror, "given that it's Saturday morning, there won't be much traffic."

Aaron tried to continue the conversation with Spencer as the little boy vacillated between excitement and nervousness. They covered Jack and his soccer team, Spencer's school research project, and Sergio's upcoming trip to the veterinarian before pulling up to a sprawling campus.

Spencer held Aaron's hand tightly as the entered the main building. They checked in at the front desk and were directed to a two-story apartment building next to the main office. They buzzed the intercom and the doors unlocked.

As Aaron pulled the door open, he saw Diana rushing forward, her arms open.

"Mom!" Spencer screamed as he rushed towards her.

She scooped up the little boy as if he weighed nothing at all, holding him tightly against her chest and peppering his head with kisses.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron was reminded of the first mother and child reunion he had witnessed after recovering Spencer from the unsub, Franks. Diana held on to her son as if he might disappear from her arms. She had almost lost him forever, and yet she had still lost him to her illness.

After several minutes, a medical assistant in blue scrubs joined them in the lobby. Quietly, she introduced herself as one of Diana's caregivers. Margie offered Aaron a tour as they waited for Diana and Spencer to catch up.

Impressed with what he saw, Aaron shared his misgivings about an unknown facility with Margie.

"I have worked in places that had poor conditions and terrible staff to patient ratios. Mrs. Reid is in good hands here," the young woman informed him.

"Aaron, come show my mom the photo book," Spencer called out.

Holding out her hand, Diana pulled Aaron into a hug with Spencer hanging on to her like a baby monkey.

"Thank you," she whispered.

The group ended up in Diana's room as Margie checked on other patients. Spencer grabbed the hard-backed book and shoved it towards his mother, "Look! That's Sergio!"

This had been Penelope's idea. She had pestered both Emily and Aaron to provide her with access to their Cloud storage since they wouldn't allow her access to the boys 24/7. Recalling Spencer's mother didn't care for technology, she selected a handful of photos each week to print and send home with Aaron. He knew Emily was mailing many of the photos to Diana but the photobook has been an unexpected surprise.

As Spencer began to settle down, Diana relaxed in her armchair with her son in her lap. She ran her fingers through his closely cropped curls as he regaled her with his traumatic haircut experience. She smiled indulgently at him, tears springing up again.

"Where are Emily and Jack today?" Diana asked when Spencer stopped talking for a moment.

"They hafta get Jack's soccer uniform. Jack is on a soccer team but I don't want to be so Emily says I don't have to be but I can do swim lessons. I'm going to start in the Stingray group with Jack. Then we can be in the Sea Horse group, then Sea Otters, then Dolphins, then Sharks."

Aaron nodded along as Spencer filled in his mom on his schooling, adding in a comment when Diana needed clarification.

As they wrapped up their visit, Aaron suggested they reserve their Sundays for future visits while continuing letters during the week.

"If you amenable, we could return tomorrow for another visit while Robert is still in town. We could bring dinner?"

"A family dinner," Diana smiled, "that would be perfect."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, favoriting and following!

I do respond to each review but I feel bad that I can't respond to guest reviewers so here is a big THANK YOU for your comments.

Occupational therapy sounds odd, doesn't it? For kiddos, these therapists work in elementary schools and help with many things but my kid's experience was with fine motor skills (such as finger strength exercises to better hold a pencil for writing). Despite many years of effort and practice, his handwriting is barely legible. I am so thankful most of his teachers allow him to type up his assignments. I do feel horrible for his math teachers trying to decipher his work (hieroglyphics).


	22. Chapter 22

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Spencer was on edge when Aaron picked up the boys from school. Jack filled them in on his day on the drive home and kept on talking as Aaron prepared their snacks. Jack bounced through the kitchen into the backyard while Spencer nibbled at his apple slices.

"Are you feeling okay, Buddy?"

The four year old's feet kicked out and he glared at Aaron, "I am feeling frustrated."

Aaron bit his lip to keep from laughing at Spencer's tiny growl. Joining him at the table, he snagged a slice, "why are you frustrated?"

"Mrs. Vicks assigned a research project," he sighed dramatically, "and I have to work on it with Maeve."

Nodding along, Aaron expected Spencer to rant about the little girl but he was pleasantly surprised.

"We picked the solar system and the books at the library all had Pluto listed as a planet," Spencer thumped his feet again and crunched through the apple, "Maeve and I told Mrs. Carter that she needs to get non-fiction books newer than 2006."

"Do you think you can skip the sections about Pluto?"

Spencer glared at him, "The books are obviously out-dated. There might be more incorrect information in there."

Trying to change the topic, Aaron asked, "how is working with Maeve?"

"She is nice and very organized," Spencer climbed down from his chair, "I gave her your number. Her parents are going to call you so you can take us to a library with a better selection of books."

With his frustrations out of the way, the little boy rushed away to play with Jack. Aaron finally let loose with his laughter.

Sure enough, Aaron's phone rang after dinner. Dr. Donovan, Maeve's mother, offered to take the kids to the university library over the weekend. Uneasy with the idea of Spencer being outside his or Emily's supervision, Aaron hesitated.

"You and your wife are welcome to join us. I can't imagine letting Maeve go anywhere without John or I going along," Mary offered, "we could carpool or meet you there."

"Yes, that would be fine. Let me check with Emily but I think Saturday is pretty open for us."

"Wonderful, let me know. I am so glad that Spencer is in Maeve's classes. I know he's pretty shy but Maeve is determined to be his friend."

"He is definitely warming up to her. Working on this project with her will be great for him."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron knew he wasn't done with therapy and he was sad to admit to himself that he might be in therapy for the remainder of his life. It went against everything he was taught in his life prior to the BAU but he also had taken enough psychology courses as he trained to become a profiler to know that it was the healthiest thing he could do for himself and his family. Dropping therapy after the mandatory orders expired was a mistake. He had fooled himself that he was over his divorce, over Foyet's attack, over Haley's murder, and over Jack losing his mother. Plus, he had never dealt with his issues from growing up as William Hotchner's first born son.

Aaron also knew that it was time for him to go back to work. While he still had work to do on himself, he needed to work. It was ingrained in him and in a bizarre way, he felt alive when he was SSA Hotchner.

Over the next week, he planned to get the boys readjusted to the idea of him not coming home until dinner time or being away for a case. For now, he just needed to get through the weekend.

Mary and Maeve Donovan had picked up Emily and Spencer for their research trip at the university library earlier and now, he and Jack were heading out for a bike ride.

Father and son rode to the park and completed two circuits around it before stopping for water and snacks.

"Are you having fun, Jack?"

"Yup!" Jack pulled his helmet off and his hair stood on end, "I'm getting really fast, Dad."

"You sure are," Aaron smiled at Jack and smoothed down his hair, "I know we don't get to do stuff, just us alone, very often."

Jack shrugged, "yeah but Spencer is fun but he won't ride his bike."

"Nope and neither does Emily."

"Emily doesn't think it's fun but Spencer does. He just gets too scared of falling."

Smiling at his son, Aaron bopped him on the nose, "maybe you can help me teach him."

"Yeah!" Jack punched his fist into the air.

Changing the topic, Aaron asked Jack about how he was feeling about everything going on in their lives, "I'm going back to work soon and we've been having so many changes lately."

The six year old scrunched his face as he concentrated, "I like you picking us up after school and playing with us but I miss Aunt Jess."

Nodding along, Aaron listened to his son list all the fun he had with his aunt.

"Okay, good. I am glad you have activities with Aunt Jess. What about all the changes with Spencer? Now that his mom is here."

Jack shrugged again, "he gets to see his mom on Sundays so we can't play together then."

Aaron bit his tongue stop himself from asking Jack if he was jealous of Spencer having his mother in his life. Deciding to ask Jack's therapist at their next appointment, Aaron allowed Jack to lead him back into the moment and nodded along as Jack planned Spencer's bike riding lessons.

They played together on the playground before riding their bikes back home.

~~~~~CM~~~~~


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The family tried to settle into a new routine with Aaron back at work. Emily was thankful that Aaron's current caseload did not require travel so he was able to be home for dinner each night.

Jack seemed to be blossoming and Spencer was finally free of his anger at Aaron and her. Now they just had to adjust to the new schedule and with summer coming up, Emily was a bit nervous about another disruption to their routines.

The mornings were running smoother. When Aaron had been responsible for getting the boys ready, he had suggested that Spencer layout his outfit (shoes included) the night before so his meltdown didn't make them late for school. Emily was thrilled with not starting each day with an argument.

Aaron also had taken more responsibility for menu planning so it no longer fell to her to come up with healthy meals that the whole family ate without complaint.

Jess had resumed picking up the boys from school and entertained them until Emily arrived home. She hadn't realized how much she missed Jess and the time they spent chatting as the boys played.

Weeknights remained almost the same with dinner, homework, watching a little tv before showers and bedtime. Wednesday evenings, they drove against traffic to visit Spencer's mother for dinner. Even Jack seemed to enjoy these visits as Diana spun tales for them and the boys tried to illustrate her stories.

Emily enjoyed the weekends as well but tried to maintain a strict schedule. Saturday mornings were dedicated to soccer for Jack and Aaron, while Spencer and Emily handled grocery shopping. Saturday afternoon had both boys at the pool for lessons and free play afterward while Aaron and Emily took turns at the adjacent gym. More often than not, she would return from her workout to find Aaron in the deep end of the pool, allowing the boys to clamber all over him until he threw them off in a dramatic fashion. The sounds of their giggles made her smile but Aaron's face, relaxed and open, made her feel as if her heart would burst from happiness.

On Sundays, one parent took Spencer to see his mom while the other entertained Jack. This weekend, Emily and Spencer planned on spending the day with Diana while Aaron kept an eye on Jack as he played with the neighborhood kids. The six year old was either riding bikes with his friends around the block or inviting them over to play video games.

All in all, Emily please with their new schedule. And despite feeling positive about having Spencer's old tutor as their nanny for the coming summer, she could admit to herself and her therapist that she was terrified that a change in their routine could undo all of their hard-won accomplishments as a family.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"And I played with Maeve and Ethan at recess. We are digging for Coelophysis bones," Spencer told his mother, "did you know that Coelophysis was found in Virginia? It lived during the Triassic period."

Diana nodded at her son, "you haven't mentioned Ethan before."

Passing the lunch plates around the table, Emily winked at Diana.

Scrambling into his chair, Spencer continued, "Ethan is in my junior kindergarten class. He always plays with Maeve."

"So you are friends with Maeve and Ethan?" Diana helped Spencer cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Spencer shrugged, "Ethan in Maeve's friend."

Emily smiled indulgently at him, "What do you do with Maeve and Ethan?"

"We play paleontologists at recess and we have lunch at the same table. Maeve and I are doing a research project on the solar system."

"So, you spend time together and play together?" Diana asked.

Bopping his head up and down, Spencer shoveled a large spoonful into his mouth.

"I think that means you are friends."

Narrowing his eyes at his mother, Spencer contemplated her words, "Maybe. I will ask them tomorrow."

As they finished dinner, Diana's aide, Margie stopped by to check on them. While Spencer interrogated her on his mother's prescriptions and potential side effects, Emily and Diana were able to speak privately.

"He is in therapy once a week and he is less angry. Still stubborn, though."

Smirking, Diana patted Emily's hand, "he gets that from me," she paused and her facial expression hardened, "does he talk about William?"

"No," Emily answered honestly, "we are concerned about that but the therapist said he is talking to her and handling it better. He does write and draw in his journal."

Tears welled up in Diana's eyes as she watched her son, his little hands moving rapidly as he chattered away. She looked back at Emily and nodded, "You know, there are so many ways his life could have gone after I was committed, after we lost William and he was kidnaped. Even after he was found, he could have still been lost."

The tears flowed freely and Diana didn't try to wipe them away, "You and Aaron. You made sure he was found and you gave him a home, a family, something I couldn't do for him in my condition." She hiccuped over her words and took a shaky breath before continuing, "you saved me as well."

Emily blinked away a tear and hugged Diana, "we are so lucky to have you and Spencer in our lives."

~~~~~CM~~~~~


	24. Chapter 24

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron had always talked to Jack about his mother in the past but it was always set in the past tense. He told his son how much his mother loved him and pretty much left it at that. But now, he felt a like Jack had a stronger relationship with Haley.

Dr. Beck's suggestion to light a candle at bedtime and speak directly to Haley provided Jack with a healthy outlet while giving Aaron guidance on what Jack might want to know about his mother. They lit the candle about twice a week and Jack filled her in on what was on his mind. It also allowed Aaron to tell Jack stories about Haley as a person and her life growing up, at least from high school. He even prodded Jess to tell Jack about Haley's childhood.

Two weeks after the introduction of the candle, he was surprised to hear Jack and Spencer yelling at each other upstairs. He made it into the hallway as both boys slammed their doors shut, rattling the picture frames on the wall.

Knocking on both their doors, Aaron stepped back and waited. Jack threw open his door and flung himself at his father, sobbing. Holding Jack tightly, Aaron rubbed his back and knocked again at Spencer's door. The younger boy opened the door slowly, his head hanging low.

"I recognize that you both need to cool down before we discuss whatever this the issue you are having but I would appreciate it if you didn't slam doors."

"Sorry, Aaron," Spencer whispered.

Jack mumbled his apology into Aaron's shoulder and sniffled. He carried Jack to the master bedroom as Spencer trailed along after.

After both boys were calm enough to talk, Aaron had them each explain what happened without interrupting each other. It took several tries to get the full picture.

"I told him to get a candle and talk to his dad like I do with Mom," Jack hiccuped and started crying again, "Spencer says my mom is not in heaven. That heaven isn't real and once you die, you are just dead."

Spencer shrugged, his face defiant but he held his tongue after being admonished for interrupting for the third time.

Aaron wiped Jack's face with a tissue, "thank you for telling me what started the fight. What happened next?"

Jack ducked his head in shame, "I yelled at Spencer and pushed him. Then I slammed my door."

Turning to Spencer, Aaron asked if he had been hurt.

"No, but I was mean to Jack. I hurt his feelings."

Taking care of the 'how to disagree respectfully' lecture, Aaron was beyond thrilled that Emily arrived home in time for the heaven and afterlife discussion.

Emily explained faith to Spencer and the importance of respecting other people's beliefs while Aaron cuddled with a distraught Jack.

"But Dad, what if Spencer is right and there isn't a heaven?" Jack whispered, "what if Mom can't hear me when I talk to her?"

Kissing Jack's forehead, Aaron smiled sadly, "I don't know if heaven is real, buddy. But I believe it is. That's faith, Jack. I have faith that Mom is in heaven."

"Spencer doesn't believe," Jack muttered darkly.

Crossing the room, Emily joined them on the bed, "Jack, sweetheart, many people don't believe in God or heaven. I don't. That doesn't mean you don't shouldn't believe. Each person has to decide for themselves."

"I believe my mom is in heaven," Jack declared, staring daringly at Spencer across the room.

Aaron reached out to Spencer and he scooted on the bed towards them.

"Jack, I am sorry," Spencer spoke softly.

Jack's glare softened and he slid from his father's lap to hug the smaller boy, "It's okay, Spencer. We are brothers but we can believe in different things."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

As the Monday morning case review meeting ended, the team discussed upcoming summer vacation plans.

"Are the boys excited for the end of the school year?" Derek asked.

"Just Jack; Spencer is quite upset that he won't be going to school but his old tutor is coming out to take of the boys for the summer. She promised him a quote, rigorous academic program, unquote."

Dave raised an eyebrow and Penelope giggled at Aaron's making quotation marks with his fingers. The room emptied except for JJ.

"I am so glad Anna is going to be your summer nanny," JJ told Aaron.

Nodding in agreement, Aaron filled her in on the summer schedule, "Anna arrives on Friday. We have the guest bedroom ready. Tonight, we are buying me a new car so Anna can use my old one.

"About time, Hotch," JJ rolled her eyes at him, "Your car is fifteen years old."

"It's only ten years old and it still runs great."

They strolled out of the conference room as Aaron muttered under his breath about being fiscally responsible.

Arriving home earlier than usual, Aaron greeted Jess and the boys, "Where's Emily?"

"In the study, on the phone with her mother," Jess smirked.

The boys entertained the adults while Aaron and Jess worked together to prepare sandwiches for dinner.

"17 minutes, 38 seconds," Emily dramatically entered the kitchen holding up her smartphone, the call timer lit up on the screen, "I rock!"

Aaron passed out sandwiches to the boys as Emily filled them in on the Ambassador, "She is very sorry she will not be able to visit. She has been posted at the Ukrainian embassy and must leave tomorrow morning."

"Where's that?" Jack asked.

Spencer spoke around a mouthful, "It's in Europe, south of Russia."

"I'll show you on the map after dinner," Aaron told Jack.

"But she is sending passes to the zoo, the museum, and the water park. She said to enjoy your summer," Emily continued.

"Yesssssss!" Jack yelled as he bounced in his chair, "best summer ever!"

Jess smiled at her nephew's enthusiasm, "I will show you the map; Dad and Emily need to get to the car dealership."

Wrapping their sandwiches in napkins, Aaron and Emily headed towards the garage door as Spencer shouted out safety ratings and Jack requested a red sports car.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: When I started this story, I knew I wanted to write a fight between Jack and Spencer about heaven. This was so much harder to write than I expected.


	25. Chapter 25

~~~~~CM~~~~~

While Aaron and Emily had full confidence on Anna being their summer nanny, they had no idea how amazing the experience would be. They knew that Spencer genuinely liked Anna but both of them wondered how Jack would take to a new person. They were surprised with how much their older boy liked Anna. He absolutely adored her.

Anna arrived with a suitcase full of toys, games, workbooks, and therapy tools. She had multiple activities planned for each day while still leaving time for free play. She entertained the boys and managed to focus on each of their interests. She chauffeured the boys to their swim lessons, the library, and their therapy appointments.

She impressed Aaron and Emily with her daily lesson plans and organization skills. Anna had found games and therapy tools to improve Spencer's fine motor skills and Jack's handling of his emotions.

In the first week, she started the boys on a geology project. They read books about rocks and fossils, went on a scavenger hunt at a nearby state park, visited the gems and minerals section of the museum, made rock candy, and began the lengthy process of growing their own geodes.

Emily voiced her wonder at what to expect for the next week. "What?" She asked nervously, "I don't like that innocent look on your face, Anna. And I see your shoulders shaking, Aaron. I know you are laughing at me."

Breaking into giggles, Anna covered her mouth with her hand. She debated keeping her lesson plan secret from Emily a little longer but she had a feeling that Aaron would blab. He seemed to be so serious but Anna had seen his soft side since she had moved in with them. The man was putty in Emily's hands and he couldn't resist puppy dog eyes from the boys.

"We are going to work on electricity," she admitted.

Closing her eyes, Emily had visions of their boys being electrocuted, their little bodies shaking as their hair stood on end.

Anna spoke quickly to reassure Emily, "I promise it's safe. The electricity will be generated from a double A battery or a lemon. And we will discuss safety."

When she saw that Emily had calmed down, Anna continued, "We are going to use a lemon to light up a lightbulb."

"I think my younger brother had Snap Circuits when he was young," Aaron added to the conversation, "Do you think the boys might like a kit?"

Clapping her hands together enthusiastically, Anna nodded, "We can make all kinds of alarms, like police sirens. Or we can make a fan or all kinds of lights."

"Jack will love the police siren," Aaron smiled, "Anna, just use the credit card we gave you to buy it."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

After a rainy day of nothing but meetings, Emily was relieved when her workday was done. She was not looking forward to being home, though. The boys had been cooped up inside all day and Aaron was still away on a case. While Jack had taken it in stride, Spencer had been getting antsy with Aaron gone and the next visit with his mother still two days away. All that and she needed to come up with an idea for dinner.

Mentally preparing herself for an onslaught of whining and clinging children, she was taken aback by the volume in the house. Jack was shrieking nonsense as he ran into the kitchen in his Spiderman costume. He hugged her legs briefly before dropping to the ground and crawling away.

Emily followed the sounds of maniacal laughter towards the dining room. Ducking under a masking tape spider web between the kitchen and family room, she saw Anna lounging on the couch with headphones blocking the sounds of the boys playing. Her foot was tapping to the beat as she scrolled through something on her phone.

As she approached the couch, Emily was hit with a scrunched up paper ball.

"Stop, right there!" Spencer called out from the dining room. Turning around, Emily saw that he was dressed in a long white lab coat with his swim goggles pushed up on his forehead. Looking like a mad scientist, he let out another evil laugh. The entry to the dining room also had a spider web made out of masking tape.

Jack crawled into the room behind Spencer and screeched, "I got into your secret base, Doctor Osborn." He fired a foam dart at the younger boy, hitting him in the back.

Spencer turned and threw his paper ball, "Surrender, Spiderman, or I will dissolve another of your spiders in toxic acid."

"Never!" Jack jumped up and ran into the kitchen as Spencer raced behind him.

Wishing she had filmed their game, Emily joined Anna in the family room.

"Hi Emily," Anna shut her music off and removed her headphones, "Dinner should be ready soon."

Emily's eyebrows shot up in astonishment, "You had time to make dinner?"

Shrugging, Anna sat up on the couch. "Yeah, all I had to do was supervise the boys making the foaming spiders so I had time to get everything in the crockpot."

"But the mess…" Emily trailed off as she looked around the room.

"The boys agreed to clean up. Shouldn't take too long. The painter's tape will come off without hurting the walls, the paper goes in the recycling bin and the dissolving spider station is already in the kitchen sink so that's easy." Anna pointed to the darts littering the floor, "those will probably take the longest to clean up."

"Foaming spiders?"

"Baking soda and water into a round mold, then we added pipe cleaners for spider legs. They are dissolving them in vinegar."

Emily followed the sounds of the boys giggling back to the kitchen. They had two kitchen chairs pushed up against the counter as they leaned over the sink. She ruffled Spencer's messy curls and Jack's smooth hair as she looked over their shoulders. Green foam filled a tub in the sink.

"Watch, Emily," Jack directed. He picked up a large red spider from another tub and dropped into the green foam. It fizzled and red foam rose up, mixing with the green. The boys giggled again.

"The spiders are made of sodium bicarbonate and food coloring. When we drop them into the vinegar, it's an acetic acid, the chemical reaction causes a release of carbon dioxide gas which makes all this foam," Spencer informed her.

"And it makes a funny fizzy noise!" Jack added helpfully.

Later that night, Emily chatted with Aaron over the phone, "Two unsubs?"

"Yeah, father and son. We are letting them stew overnight and will interview them in the morning. I hope to be home tomorrow night at the latest."

"Good, we miss you."

"How are things going?"

Emily laughed, "I am going to send you a link to a video montage that Anna made of today. Watch it and call me back."

Texting him a link, Emily finished up her bedroom routine knowing that Aaron would watch the video twice before calling her back.

"Wow, Em!" Aaron sighed contently, "they are so happy."

"I always worried that Jack would feel as if he wasn't smart enough around Spencer. And I worried that Spencer would never really let loose and have a childhood," Emily confessed.

Aaron didn't reply for a while and Emily waited patiently as he considered her words.

After several minutes, he spoke, his voice heavy with emotion, "I thought about that as well but we have been making strides to ensure both of them have what they need to nourish their bodies and minds. And Anna really showed us how to meet those needs and nourish their souls."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: I know it's not mentioned in the chapter but Aaron and Emily paid Anna extra to cover the costs of the workbooks, games, and pretty much anything she got for the boys.


	26. Chapter 26

~~~~~CM~~~~~

As the family adjusted to the summer schedule and regular visits with Diana, Aaron checked in with Robert. Spencer's guardian was pleased with the letters and photographs. He couldn't wait to return to Virginia for another visit.

"Early August will work for my schedule," the older man told Aaron, "I'll be sorry to miss Spencer's birthday. Do you have any recommendations for a gift?"

"Anything related to dinosaurs or astronomy. Sorry, I mean Astrophysics as Spencer routinely corrects me," Aaron recalled his youngest's lectures on the difference between the two. "He's equally obsessed with both but his birthday party theme is astronauts & outer space. Between Emily and Anna, the party is going to be out of this world."

Robert laughed, "that was a terrible pun, Aaron. I'll think of something related to dinosaurs or astrophysics. Tell me about what they have planned for the party?"

"Let's see, there will be a make your own satellite craft station and astronaut food." Aaron grimaced as he explained, "Spencer wanted things to be scientifically accurate so food must be thermostabilized or rehydratable so they are going to be sucking down baby food in preserved pouches. But the high point is that we get astronaut ice cream."

"I can't imagine what Jack's birthday will be like. Speaking of which, when is Jack's birthday? I want to put it on my calendar."

Aaron answered, "October 7th. Not sure of his birthday party theme but Anna offered her creative services long distance."

Humming happily, Robert said his goodbyes and Aaron rejoined his family in the backyard.

Noting the summer heat, he went back inside for a pitcher of sweet tea and cups. Passing out drinks, he chatted with Anna as Emily barbecued their dinner. Their costumed boys ran across the patio to chug their tea before running back to their elaborate game of superhero tag.

"Iron-Hulk! Spiderman!" Emily called out, "Dinner is ready; can you go in and wash up?"

"Five more minutes," Jack begged but he caught Anna's eye and stopped short. Spencer smashed into his back and fell on his bottom, giggling. "Come on, Spencer, we hafta wash our hands."

Biting his lip, Aaron kept his comments on Jack's first crush to himself but he couldn't help but exchange a knowing glance with Emily as he took the heavy platter of grilled veggies and chicken from her.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

"Sir, you had a large package delivered and the mailroom finally cleared it," Penelope informed Aaron as he stepped out of the elevator.

Coming back to the office after a grisly case, Aaron wanted to file his report before heading home for the world's longest shower. He nodded dumbly at Penelope as she chattered on about security scanning and suspicious boxes.

"You know, if the mailroom had just alerted me, this wouldn't have been a problem," she continued as she guided him through the bullpen, "I mean, I know that Robert Nelson is Spencer's guardian, I am the one who found him. Honestly, his gift is perfect for Spencer, and I can help with the software."

Finally, in his office, Aaron sat down heavily, loosening his tie. He stared at the tall brown box in front of his desk, his eyes flicking between Penelope and darkened computer monitor. Exhaustion left him unable to make a decision on what to do first.

"Here, give me your bag," Penelope slid his laptop out of his computer bag and placed it on his docking station, "I called Emily to ask if she wants me to gift wrap it but she was leaning towards having it set up fully with a red bow or something. I think I can make a galaxy themed bow."

Watching as she logged into his computer, opening up his email and reporting system, Aaron snapped back into attention.

"You are not supposed to know my login," Aaron made a mental note to change his password again. "And what is in the box?" He asked wearily.

Rolling her eyes at him, she ignored his first comment, "It's a beginner's telescope. It has a computerized system for pointing and is compatible with smartphones so he can take pictures. It will be a hit at his party."

"Spencer will love this!" Aaron smiled for the first time in days, "it really is the perfect gift."

"Yup, and I sent over about a hundred ideas to Anna and Emily for activities. I am going to be photoshopping the kids into rockets and astronaut helmets. Oooh, that reminds me that I need to get glossy photo paper for my printer. I'll come over early and help set up."

Aaron pulled his notes from his bag and began updating the case in the reporting system as she talked, his muscles relaxing as he filed away the case.

When he returned home, a quick and refreshing shower was all he needed before he was back to being himself with his family. He really needed to thank Penelope for always bringing joy during dark times.

"Do you have any gift ideas for Penelope?"

Emily wrinkled her nose as she thought, "it has to be something personal, not a gift card."

"Candy," suggested Jack and Spencer added on, "and books."

Joining in, Anna said, "She seems like a person who is hands-on; so maybe a class?"

"I do like that idea," Aaron said as he pulled out his phone, "a class."

The family voted as he named off local classes before all agreeing to a mozzarella making workshop.

The next day, despite being happy that Penelope enjoyed her gift certificate, Aaron had regrets as she squealed and hugged him tightly in front of everyone in the bullpen.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Spencer enjoyed his actual birthday with his mother and his new family. They had dinner in the community room, followed by cake and presents.

The five year old thanked Jack for his own set of Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk figures. Emily bit back a smile as Spencer seemed more excited for gamma radiation scientist with multiple PhDs than the invincible green giant. Their little genius had wanted a Dr. Jane Foster, astrophysicist, action figure but there were none to be found.

Diana had several books for Spencer, literature and a science textbook. Both seemed to be for a college student but he was pleased.

Emily grew nervous as Spencer opened the gift from her and Aaron but Spencer adored the puzzle ball and couldn't wait to beat all the levels.

After dinner, Spencer was preoccupied with trying to read the chemistry book while solving a level on his puzzle ball. Jack was eyeing the leftover cake while playing with Emily.

"Captain America! You will be stopped!" Emily declared, holding up a small toy.

Jack giggled and tried to deepen his voice, "Good always wins over evil, Red Skull!"

Aaron and Diana smiled openly at their family.

"He does play superheroes with Jack, often," Aaron explained, "They have dress up costumes and Spencer has mixed two costumes to make it his own."

"That sounds like Spencer," Diana commented, "How is Anna doing with the boys?"

"Wonderful, she inserts learning into all their activities." Aaron's voice dropped to a whisper, "Jack has a crush on her."

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Diana asked to meet Anna if they had a chance to bring her along for the next visit, "I knew William would make a good choice in choosing a tutor but I was too ill when they started lessons."

"Of course, she would love to meet you." Aaron noted, "I believe you've been better since you've been here."

"I was just starting to adjust to the medications and sanitarium when Spencer was kidnapped, then it took a long time to stabilize and find the right medications for me. Once the meds were working, this new sanitarium and new doctors weren't much of an adjustment."

Happy screeching pulled them away from their intense conversation; Spencer had solved level eight after several tries.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Finding a superhero that Spencer might like was a bit difficult. I think he would like Bruce Banner / Hulk from a science standpoint but he would unable to resist the awesomeness of Ironman, therefore he is Iron-Hulk!

I did look for a Jane Foster action figure but all I could find is a doll in a gown from Thor: Dark World. I was underwhelmed.

If you haven't played with a puzzle ball then you are missing out on some serious FRUSTRATION. Hehehe!


	27. Chapter 27

~~~~~CM~~~~~

With her hands full, Emily tried not to drop anything as stepped out of the way as five children ran through the backyard, searching for 'meteors.' Narrowly avoiding her, Jack yelled an apology over his shoulder.

She dropped off the packages of Oreos and marshmallows at the patio table, trying not to smush the hand-crafted to scale satellites, wet with oozing glue and dripping paint.

"Emily, this is a wonderful party," Susan, Ethan's mother, said as she accepted an ice tea from Jess.

"It was all Anna and Penelope."

Jess continued handing out drinks to JJ's husband, Will, and the Donovan's but leaned in to speak to Emily, "Can you grab a trash bag when you go back inside?"

The tall bin was overflowing with remnants of craft supplies and juice boxes.

In the kitchen, she found JJ putting final touches on the astronaut glove box and Penelope placing photographs of the children in space suits into the favor boxes.

"Do not eat the Astronaut Ice Cream," Emily scolded Derek. Taking the foil packet from his handed, she replaced it with a trash bag, "Go make yourself useful; Aaron could use some help."

Grumbling, Derek took out the trash then joined Aaron in setting up the tent in a quiet corner of the backyard. The children were going to have a sleepover after star gazing.

The remainder of the afternoon was filled with making star constellations with mini-marshmallows and toothpicks, recreating the phases of the moon with Oreos, and the children's favorite activity: completing simples tasks insides of a clear top box while wearing large rubber gloves.

"This is just like they do it," Maeve told the boys, "astronauts have to be able to make repairs while wearing their big gloves."

"But they have real astronaut gloves, not yellow rubber dishwashing gloves," Spencer added.

As the main event came to a close, JJ and Will said their goodnights. Kissing Henry goodnight, JJ tugged Will away, looking forward to their date night.

Maeve didn't seem to mind her parents leaving despite this being her first night away from home.

"I will not be scared and if I miss you, I will ask Miss Anna or the Hotchner's to use the phone." The little girl's curls shook as she lectured her parents.

Aaron bowed his head to hide his smile, tucking his chin into Emily's shoulder.

Emily whispered, "She and Spencer are so alike. They will either continue to be best friends or grow into mortal enemies."

This time, Aaron was not able to hold back his laughter.

Ethan hugged his mother tightly as she reminded him that he could come home anytime.

Jess, Penelope, and Derek headed out next, leaving Aaron to wonder what trouble those three would get into together.

Emily sent Anna inside to relax until it was bedtime. She and Aaron entertained the children in the tent with a flashlight puppet show and stories. After a snack, they herded the children inside to wash up and change into pajamas.

Back in the tent, each child set up their sleeping bag and tested their flashlights before crowding around the telescope; it was time for stargazing.

Aaron helped Spencer set the coordinates for two constellations, Scorpius and Orion, on his new telescope. Once all the children had an opportunity to see both with the naked eye and up close through the scope, Aaron regaled them with a Greek myth about the hunter, Orion, wanting to kill all of the wild animals on Earth. Upset, the Earth Goddess, Gaia, set a giant scorpion to stop him.

"Do you see?" Aaron pointed to the sky, "Scorpius is chasing Orion across the night sky."

Maeve and Spencer peppered Aaron with questions as Henry, Ethan, and Jack asked Emily to show them more.

Checking her cheat-sheet, Emily pointed the telescope towards Mars then Saturn. Her attempt to find Saturn did not yield any results.

Anna, clad in silly pajamas, rejoined them outside. After a few minutes, she was able to decipher Penelope's instructions and find the planet.

With Henry and Maeve half asleep on him, Aaron looked to Emily and dipped his head towards the tent.

The adults ushered the children into the tent. With everyone in their sleeping bags and the lantern lit, Aaron and Emily said their good nights. Anna would watch over the children and call them if they needed anything.

As they walked into the house, hand in hand, Aaron gave Emily's hand a light squeeze, "I would say that Spencer's birthday party was a success."

"Or as Jack would say, 'Totally Awesome."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Despite Jack's birthday being a few months away, Anna started a binder filled with ideas based on his current interests: superheroes with Spiderman firmly at the top of the list, ninja turtles, soccer, swimming, Legos, and Star Wars.

Jack loved to flip through it and imagine his party, "Spencer, if I pick Star Wars, we can have a lightsaber fight."

The boys were lounging in the family room next to Sergio. Laying in a sunbeam, they chatted as they went through the binder and pet the cat.

"That would be dangerous, Jack. Someone could get hurt or break your red lightsaber."

"Nuh uh! Look!" Jack pointed to the photos of pool noodles turned into light sabers, "We wouldn't use my real one."

On the couch, Emily nudged Aaron. He was working through some case files, occasionally asking her for input. He glanced up from his papers to watch the boys chatting. Reaching over, he pulled Emily's hand into his own.

On the other side of the room, Robert switched his novel for his camera, discreetly taking two pictures. The first photograph focused on the boys with their parents in the background. The second focused on Aaron and Emily's faces fondly watching their boys. Smiling to himself, he knew that it was time to start the adoption process.

Over the next several days, Robert continued to enjoy his vacation with his new family. He accompanied them on visits with Diana, toured museums with the boys and Anna, and cooked simple summer meals with Emily, and ending most evenings with long discussions about the law with Aaron. His final day in Virginia ended with a personalized tour of the FBI campus and a BAU Team barbecue.

After the team headed home, Robert asked Aaron and Emily to hold off on cleaning up. With Anna and the boys upstairs tackling bath and bedtime, the house was relatively quiet.

"Here, let me top you off," Robert refilled their wine glasses as they sat at the kitchen table. He grabbed a box from the counter and joined them.

"I have been so impressed by your family and your friends. You took in Spencer and gave him a home. You challenged what it means to be a family as you invited Diana into your lives. You co-parent Spencer with his mother, never diminishing their relationship as you develop your own relationship with him." Robert paused, swirling the wine around in his glass, "William, he was struggling. We talked a few months before he had Diana committed. He was overwhelmed and he questioned every decision he made. He had lost his wife to schizophrenia and he had a genius son that he couldn't connect with."

Robert rubbed his eyes, "As I said, William struggled. He wanted to walk away. He did the best he could for his family. He died trying to be better. Of all the futures he imagined for his family, this wasn't one of them. But he would have been happy knowing that his wife and child were taken care of, happy and healthy."

He pushed the box across the table and Emily lifted the lid.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she pulled out a two picture frame of their family, "I didn't realize you had taken photos of us."

Papers nestled at the bottom of the box caught Aaron's eye, "Are those..."

Emily looked to her husband as he trailed off. He pulled the papers free and showed her the title, "Consent to Adoption by Legal Guardian."

Smiling, Robert nodded at them, "It's time we finalized Spencer's status in your family."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: I had a great time planning Spencer's party. Jack's party ideas were easy as my son had a Star Wars party when he was little. Pool noodles can be cut down to size and turned into lightsabers with a duct tape and electrical tape bands for the handles. Despite the fact they are made of foam, they do hurt when you whack someone in the face!

Also, adoption forms vary from state to state so we will pretend my information is totally legit. Hehehe!


	28. Chapter 28

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Last weeks of summer were filled with change and that made Emily nervous. They were dealing with Anna heading back to Las Vegas for grad school, back to school shopping for clothes and supplies, doctor appointments, and haircuts. They had been working so hard to establish a routine and avoid disruptions.

But as they progressed with the adoption, Emily and Aaron watched in horror as their family imploded.

Robert had discussed Spencer's adoption with Diana before signing the consent forms and while she had given her permission wholeheartedly, the reality of the situation was harsh. Even though she legally did not have a claim on her child, she told Emily that felt like she was giving up her son and any future they had together. The emotional stress weighed on her and Diana fell into a severe delusion that has been going for eleven days and counting.

Emily and Aaron wanted to give Diana the opportunity to talk about the adoption with Spencer as she had when they took custody earlier in the year but their visits were canceled as Diana fought a battle with her mind.

Two skipped visits had been accepted quietly but when they weren't allowed to visit for the third time, Spencer lost his patience. He was furious at the sanitarium and his mother's doctors. The five year old ranted and railed against the system at from the moment he woke up until he fell asleep, emotionally exhausted.

His therapist suggested they keep to their normal routines as he raged and scheduled an additional session but it didn't seem to work. For several days, Anna struggled to keep his attention for more than a few minutes, leaving both her and Jack frustrated. This prompted Aaron and Emily to take turns, scheduling days off to spend at home with their family. Spencer's anger didn't wane.

At her wit's end, Emily called Diana's previous doctor at Bennington, "Dr. Norman, this is Emily Prentiss. We met when…"

"I remember you, Emily," he interrupted, "How is Spencer? And your family?"

She updated the doctor on their situation and asked for advice.

"As you know, Diana is no longer my patient, however, I will give her doctor a call to chat. I will also recommend a visit with Spencer. He has seen her hallucinations so he won't be shocked by her behavior. She may lash out violently so I will suggest a no-contact visit," Dr. Norman paused, "Spencer has accepted that her condition will improve and worsen for the rest of her life but I believe that he needs to see her so it doesn't feel like he has lost her."

A few hours later Spencer was granted a supervised visit with his mother for the next day.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A text alert caught Aaron's attention as Penelope presented their current case in the conference room; Diana's doctors were going to allow Spencer to visit his mother. Making a split second decision, he quickly replied to Emily, "Staying behind, I will take him in am."

Focusing on the case, Aaron listened to the team's thoughts on the unsub and added his own. At the conclusion of the meeting, he informed them that he would not be joining them on this trip.

"Derek, you can run point on this. I have a personal matter to address."

Aware of his family situation, JJ and Penelope gave him tight smiles as they gathered up their folders. Dave clapped him on the back before he left the room with the women.

Never one to mince words, Derek leaned back in his chair, "The time off last week and now you are not coming with us to Omaha. Things have gone to shit?"

"Diana isn't doing well and Spencer is struggling," Aaron left out the details of the situation, "but we have an appointment in the morning and I'm hopeful it will help."

"I'm happy to help out; handle reports and Strauss," Derek offered.

Grateful for the support, Aaron nodded stiffly, "I appreciate it, Morgan."

Watching his team leave for the case without him was sobering, Aaron wondered if this was just one case he would be missing or this was the beginning of a pattern. Packing up his briefcase, he considered his options. He could always transfer to a desk job in another unit or he could always promote Derek to SSAIC and accept a demotion to SSA, requesting that he no longer travel on cases. Maybe it was time for him to take early retirement.

As a headache build up behind his eyes, Aaron dreaded going home as it was only going to get worse. Sighing dejectedly, Aaron punched the down button for the elevator.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Jack greeted him as he entered the kitchen through the garage door, "Dad! You are home early!"

After hugging Jack, Aaron stole a carrot stick from his plate. As Jack screeched, he held up his own carrot stick and they pretended to sword fight until their carrots broke.

"Where are Spencer and Anna?" Aaron asked.

Jack ducked his head and shrugged.

"Jack?"

"Spencer got mad and threw Captain America's plane and the Legos went everywhere," Jack bit his lip, "he didn't mean to, Dad. He just misses his mom."

Pulling his son into a hug, Aaron rubbed circles on his back, "I know he's angry, Jack. But there are better ways to deal with anger, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Jack kicked his feet out nervously, "Anna said I shouldn't clean up; that it was Spencer's responsibility."

"She's right. Spencer needs to handle the consequences of his actions," Aaron kissed Jack on the top of his head, "you finish up your snack while I go check on them, okay?"

Aaron crossed through the family room, stepping around the scattered red, white, and blue bricks, and up the stairs to Spencer's room. Sitting on his bed, Anna was wiping Spencer's tear-streaked face with a tissue as they spoke in hushed voices. Knocking on the doorframe, he got their attention.

Spencer pulled away from Anna and ran into Aaron's outstretched arms while mumbling "I'm sorry" over and over again.

After cuddling for several minutes, Spencer announced that he needed to apologize to Jack and clean up the Legos leaving Anna and Aaron behind.

"He was in zombie mode all day, just reading quietly," Anna said sadly, "then I told them it was snack time and he grabbed the plane out of Jack's hand and threw it across the room. He was hysterical after that."

Aaron nodded knowingly at her, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

Anna tried to smile but she couldn't as tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffed in an attempt to hold back the tears but it didn't work. Aaron hugged her tightly until she stopped crying.

Sending Anna and Jack out to run errands, Aaron and Spencer settled in the kitchen. They scrolled through the tablet to find the recipe for dinner. Putting the little boy in charge of gathering ingredients, they made small talk.

Eventually, Spencer told Aaron about getting so angry and lashing out, "I told Jack I was sorry and I cleaned it up but his plane is broken now."

"What do you suggest we do to fix his plane?"

"Jack doesn't have the book of instructions anymore but I think I can figure it out."

Instructing Spencer to double the spice measurements from the recipe, Aaron began chopping vegetables. "I believe you can figure out but if you run into a problem, we can look up instructions online."

"Aaron, um, Jack isn't mad at me but I think he should be."

Making appropriate noises, Aaron encouraged Spencer to continue.

"I've been mad and sad all week and today I wasn't nice and I broke his toy."

Turning to face the little boy, he nodded, "I am glad you are thinking about your behavior and how it affects others. What do you think is the best way to handle this?"

Biting his lip to keep from smiling, Aaron watched as Spencer's face scrunched in concentration.

"I should apologize to Jack again but I have to stop getting angry."

"Anger is an emotion that we all experience. You don't have to stop getting angry, buddy. You have to find a way to let it out safely. Without hurting yourself or others," Aaron explained.

"Yeah, that's what Dr. Beck says," Spencer lined up his measuring spoons by size, "I need to talk about my feelings or write in my journal or I can color. Because that is a healthy way to express how I am feeling."

They continued cooking and chatting until the rest of the family joined them for dinner.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Holding Spencer's hand, Aaron led him to the observation window on the medical side the sanitarium. With Diana's current condition, she was not allowed to stay in her own room in the residential ward.

Her doctor, who had begrudgingly agreed to the visit, gave them an update, "She has not been sedated in 18 hours. She is still hallucinating however she has not been violent so we removed the restraints earlier this morning."

Crouching down, Aaron caressed Spencer's cheek lightly, "Are you ready?"

Nodding frantically, Spencer held up his arms to be carried. Lifting the boy up, Aaron stepped up to the window. Diana Reid was lying in bed, staring blankly at the wall. Her arms were bandaged, her face covered in red scratches.

Spencer assessed his mother for several minutes, "We need to read to her, Aaron."

The doctor agreed, "Dr. Norman explained that this helps when she is having a particularly bad episode but several of our staff had been reading to her but it didn't seem to help."

Dipping his head towards the window, Aaron asked, "What have they been reading to her?"

"I don't know," the doctor shrugged.

Narrowing his eyes at the doctor, Spencer informed him of acceptable reading material, "She likes specific works when she is sick; The Book of Margery Kempe, Le Morte d'Arthur or Tristan and Isolt. It's in her medical records."

The doctor looked uncomfortable as Aaron agreed with the five year old, "I realize that I am not her guardian but Robert Nelson had very specific instructions for her care including visits with her son."

"Ah, well," trailing off the doctor stopped and squared his shoulders, "You are right. No excuses, we should have reviewed her case thoroughly when she came here. I will schedule a meeting with Mr. Nelson and our staff to ensure this does not happen again. In the meantime, I will have Mrs. Reid's books brought over from her room."

Nodding curtly at the doctor, Spencer placed his small hands on Aaron's cheeks and looked him in the eye, "Will you read to my mom?"

"Yes, shall we start with Tristan and Isolt?"

The next few hours, Aaron, with Spencer in his lap, sat on the couch across from Diana's bed, his deep baritone voice flowing softly over the room.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: This was supposed to be the final chapter with Spencer's adoption but as I started writing it, the story wasn't ready to be done. I think we have one more chapter plus an epilogue in this story.


	29. Chapter 29

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Diana sat unresponsive on her bed in the medical ward until one Friday evening when she simply turned her head towards Emily and Spencer, reciting the next line in the story.

"Momma," Spencer cried out as he rushed across the room.

She held him tightly, pressing her face into his curls. After several minutes, she looked to Emily, "How long?"

"Eighteen days," Emily said with a sad smile.

"I do feel really disoriented,as if I have lost a lot of time." Diana admitted, "Spencer, sweetheart, I missed so much. Can you catch me up?"

Spencer spent the next hour in his mother's lap, telling her about her episode, the visitation fiasco, and his own anger, "Momma, you missed saying goodbye to Anna. She went back to school yesterday."

Apologizing, Diana promised to send Anna a note, "and you start school soon?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Spencer answered, "Yes on Monday. I am going to Kindergarten with Maeve and Ethan. Mrs. Chen won't be my teacher because she just teaches pre-kindergarten. Mr. Collins will be my new teacher and I still get to go to Mrs. Vicks for most of the day. Maeve will come with me but Ethan stays with Mr. Collins all day."

As the evening grew later, Emily encouraged Spencer to wrap up his conversation, "Your mom needs to get some rest and by the time we get home, it will be well past your bedtime."

Spencer complained loudly but both women weren't being swayed by his articulate reasoning to stay up late. Grumbling under his breath, he put his shoes and hoodie on, "I am glad you are feeling better, Momma. I was very worried."

Diana kissed him and held him tight before releasing him to Emily. The women exchanged a look, Emily nodding as she understood; they were going to have a serious conversation when little ears weren't listening.

The next morning, Emily left Aaron home with the boys as she traveled back to the sanitarium. Diana had already met with her doctors and nurses. She told Emily that they were under strict instructions from Robert to follow her care plan with specific allowances for visits with Spencer.

"Seeing you through the window or across the room was acceptable," Emily said, "he needed to know you were there even if you were hallucinating and he couldn't be with you. The separation absolutely gutted him." She continued to share the little boy's behavior and additional emotional support they provided him, "he is seeing Dr. Beck twice a week now."

"Spencer cannot react as he did the past few weeks. My condition, while manageable at times, is the reason I have been committed. I will have periods of time when I am not myself and as smart as Spencer is, he is not emotionally mature enough to handle this," Diana gave a wry smile, "I am not emotionally mature enough to handle this."

Diana rubbed her hands on the tops of her legs, "Being in bed for so long as weakened me; I would like to stretch my legs a bit. Would you like to walk to the cafeteria with me?"

As they walked together, Diana shifted the conversation to Spencer's adoption.

"We have not filed the paperwork yet; we wanted to wait for you so we could discuss this with Spencer when we are all together."

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Diana turned to face Emily fully, "You cannot wait for me when it comes to Spencer's well being. Not anymore, not after this. As much as this hurts me, you have to be his parents. I love that you want to include me but this past episode has shown me that I cannot be what he needs."

"I understand, I do." Emily nodded and reached for Diana's hands. Grasping them tightly, Emily continued, "we want to co-parent with you and there are times when we will have to make decisions in Spencer's best interest without you but not this. Adopting Spencer is too big, too important. We must do this together."

~~~~~CM~~~~~

With Jess out of town, Aaron asked JJ if she could take Jack for the afternoon. Once Jack was settled into riding bikes with Henry; the rest of the family headed to the sanitarium.

With small talk out of the way, Diana led the discussion, "Spencer, the time has come for Aaron and Emily formalize custody of you; they are going to adopt you."

Frowning, Spencer looked from his mother to Aaron and Emily. His eyes narrowed and his jaw jutted out defiantly before a barrage of angry words escaped, "Is this because Momma had a bad episode? Adoption would remove her rights to me. Did Robert approve this? What happens next? Can I still see my mother? Will you end visitation? Because that is not acceptable! I love my momma and you can't take me away from her!"

He glared at Aaron and Emily before turning away from them. He tried to bury himself in his mother's arms but Diana held him firmly by the upper arms and cleared her throat until they were eye to eye.

"I think you know most of the answers to your questions. We have discussed your guardianship previously, Spencer. And you know that I do not have legal custody of you. I think you are being difficult on purpose because you do not like this idea. Am I wrong?" She asked him as he ducked his head.

Aaron moved to say something but Diana shook her head at him. She waited for Spencer to answer her.

"No, you are not wrong," Spencer grudgingly admitted.

"What questions do you have about adoption?" Diana asked patiently.

He cast a half-hearted glare at Aaron and Emily, "I already have a Momma and Daddy even though my daddy is dead and my momma lives here."

Diana nodded at Emily and Aaron to answer.

"Spencer, we know you have a mother and a father. We are not trying to replace them," Aaron spoke softly, "We want you to be in our family forever and that means adoption. We want to have our very own Spencer and we would never keep you away from your mom. She is a part of our family, just like Robert, and just like you."

"I don't want to call you Momma and Daddy."

Crossing to Spencer and Diana, Emily asked if she could sit with them, "Spencer, what does Jack call me?"

"Emily."

She stroked his hair and smiled at him, "Yes, he calls me Emily and he calls his mother, Mommy, even though she passed away."

Spencer shrugged but leaned into Emily's touch, muttering "yeah."

"I think the issue here is that you are afraid to lose me," Diana smiled sadly, "and I am afraid to lose you but we aren't going to lose each other because of Aaron and Emily. They are our family and they will love you and take care of you because I can't. We are afraid of schizophrenia. It has already taken me away from you."

Overwhelmed by the raw emotion in the room, Aaron closed his eyes, unable to watch as Diana, his wife, and their child all cried together.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Adoption day was here and Jack couldn't be more excited, "You are gonna be my little brother forever!" He picked Spencer up in a big hug that had the smaller boy's feet dangling.

"Jack, you are squishing me," Spencer complained as he squirmed.

"Put him down, Jack," Emily's voice carried from upstairs, "before you drop him."

"I wouldn't drop my little brother," he yelled to Emily but he put Spencer down and patted his head, ignoring cross look that flashed across his face, "Did you decide on your name? Are you going to be Spencer Reid-Hotchner or Spencer Hotchner? Or maybe you want to be Spencer Hotchner-Reid."

"Jackets and shoes, Boys!" Aaron called from the study.

They sat on the floor near the garage door and jammed shoes on their feet. After several tries, Spencer held up his feet in Jack's direction, "can you tie them for me?"

As Jack looped the shoe strings into bunny ears, Spencer answered "I want to keep my name, Spencer William Reid. My dad's name is William."

"Cool! But you will still be my little brother! Even with different last names! Our family has lots of names, Emily is a Prentiss and Aunt Jess is a Brooks."

Folders in hand, Aaron joined them and ushered them into the garage. As they buckled into their booster seats, Emily rushed out of the house and hopped into the car.

At the courthouse, Jack and Spencer fidgeted in their seats in the long hallway. People watching was not entertaining after ten minutes. After being admonished for thumping their feet against their chairs, Emily passed them books from her purse. She turned back to chat with Aaron and their attorney.

The clerk finally called them into the Judge's office. Everyone sat down around a small conference table. Both Jack and Spencer balanced on their knees to see over the tabletop. After reviewing the paperwork, the judge turned to the boys, "Which one of you is Spencer?"

Spencer slid off his chair, leaning into Aaron as he addressed the judge shyly, "I'm Spencer."

The judge smiled gently at the five year old, "do you know why we are here today?"

Nodding briskly, Spencer answered, "Yes. My guardian, Robert Nelson, has given his consent to Aaron and Emily to adopt me because my Momma can't take care of me. She has been declared non compos mentis."

Biting her lip to keep from smiling, the judge remarked, "Those are big words for a young person."

Both Aaron and Emily held back their laughs as Spencer rolled his eyes at the judge.

Jumping into the conversation, Jack stood and threw his arm around Spencer's shoulders, "Spencer is super smart and he has a big vo-cab-larry. And he can read grown-up books and do hard math problems. He is a genius."

"I'm not a genius, Jack," Spencer then added, "you can't quantify intelligence."

Exchanging a knowing look with the adults, the judge asked a few more questions of the boys before signing the paperwork, "It's official. Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss are now the adoptive parents of Spencer William Reid."

Cheering, Jack hugged Spencer tightly before they were both enveloped by Emily into a group hug. Aaron stood close by and patted the boys' heads until Emily released her hold.

Spencer stepped towards Aaron before throwing himself into at Aaron. Aaron allowed the momentum to push him back into his seat as he cradled Spencer in his arms.

Spencer sobbed for a minute before finding his voice, "you found me. I was lost and you found me and you saved me and now we are a family."

Aaron kissed Spencer's head and held him close, "you will never be lost again."

~~ The End ~~

~~~~~CM~~~~~

A/N: Thank you so much for joining me for this Little Spencer story. The epilogue will be coming up soon.

I do not know much about schizophrenia other than what I have found online. Since Diana is institutionalized in the show, I took liberties with the length of her episodes (this one triggered by extreme stress).

I also imagined little Spencer get the 'you must be a genius' a lot so I did a play on what Spencer says in Extreme Aggressor (Season 1, Episode 1): "I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified."


	30. Chapter 30

~~~~~CM~~~~~

 **~ Epilogue ~**

Aaron finished up a case report and leaned back in his chair to relax. His mind wandered as he thought about his life's journey to this day. From marrying his high school sweetheart, to having Jack, from losing Haley first to divorce then to have her murdered six years ago, Aaron would have never imagined he would be here: happily married to Emily and raising two children.

He never thought he could find love after losing so much with Haley. His relationship with Emily was simply unbelievable. She loved him and his son wholeheartedly. He honestly didn't think he could have been any happier. Then a missing child case led to finding Spencer. It had been two years since they had adopted Spencer, making their family complete.

Now, nine year old Jack was thriving in school and loved playing soccer. He couldn't wait to join the competitive team when he turned ten. Between soccer team and the swim team, Jack barely had time to play with his friends. Despite the lack of free time, Jack constantly wanted to try new activities. Aaron chuckled to himself as he recalled Jack's foray into Taekwondo; calling it mind-numbingly boring after a month. At least, he enjoyed going to his little brother's tournaments.

While Spencer was the younger brother at age seven, he was quickly catching up with Jack in height. He was also thriving in his customized school program and overcoming his social anxiety, although the teachers still hoped he would socialize with more than just a small group of children. Aaron and Emily weren't worried; Spencer had friends his own age and he was continually learning to navigate social cues. Like Jack, Spencer enjoyed the swim team but he had no interest in soccer. His main focus, outside of 'enriching his mind', Aaron almost laughed out loud as he recalled another lecture from Spencer about the importance of neuroplasticity, was Taekwondo. He loved the exact movements and multi-step forms, even showing an interest in sparring and competing.

Emily, beautiful as ever, he thought, was loving being a mother. She didn't even mind that both of their sons called her by her name instead of mom. Balancing her career and her family still weighed on her but her position with the human trafficking task force rather than an active unit allowed her a flexible schedule. She loved volunteering for school field trips or being able to leave work if one of the kids were sick. She had even accepted that the fact that she didn't need to be responsible for the entire household, giving in when Aaron had hired a twice monthly cleaning service.

The past few years, retiring or reducing his role at the BAU still weighed heavily on Aaron's mind. He regularly talked about his career goals with Emily, Dave, and his therapist but a clear answer hadn't come through until now. Aaron had received a message from Jack's soccer coach, Mary Jenkins. She and her family were moving away and she was asking Aaron to step in as a coach for this last season as a recreational team and then next year as the children formed a competitive team.

Overwhelmed by the feeling of wanting to accept the position, Aaron knew that in his current position he couldn't make a commitment two nights a week plus Saturday mornings. Especially next year, when the team would participate in tournaments all across the state of Virginia.

As Aaron sat at his desk pondering, he realized that he already knew what he wanted. He was just letting the voice in the back of his head talk him out of it.

That night as he spoke with Emily about promoting Morgan and working part-time at the FBI, she smothered him with kisses, muttering "finally" under her breath.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

With so much to do before they left for vacation, Emily was running around the house like her hair was on fire. She couldn't finish packing until the present was wrapped and the scissors are missing and her phone is ringing. Answering her phone, Emily grabbed scissors from the study.

Tucking her phone between her ear and shoulder, she returned to the kitchen where Anna's graduation gift lay on the table.

"So, what happens now?" She asked her sister-in-law.

"I have to put him in a memory care home," Jess sighed, "his Medicare will cover the costs but I feel like I am giving up on my father."

Emily reassured her while measuring out the gift wrap, "Jess, you have been taking care of him for over a year. His condition deteriorated to a point where he needs around the clock care."

After the call, Emily ran upstairs to check on the boys. Jack was allowed to ride his bike when she deemed his suitcase packed properly. Crossing his arms, Spencer refused to unpack his books.

"Sweetheart, you don't have any toiletries, PJs, or pants packed."

"But I need these books. I will run out of things to read in three days, Emily." He flashed her an angelic smile, "plus I can wear the same pants for several days."

"Nice try, Mister!" Emily looked at her watch, "We have thirty minutes before we leave. So you either pack your essentials and bring your tablet or continue to argue with me and reduce the time we get to visit with your mom."

Spencer ran his fingers over the spines of his hard-backed books in his suitcase, sighing sadly, "I prefer to read paper books."

"I do too, Spencer, but we did add a bunch of illustrated books to your tablet so it will be a different experience than a regular book." Emily dropped a kiss on his head, "When you are done packing, bring your suitcase downstairs, okay?"

In the master bedroom, Emily wedged Anna's gift in between her makeup bag and her shoes before zipping up her suitcase. Glancing around the room one last time, Emily turned off the lights and carried her bag down into the kitchen. She lined up her bag with Aaron and Jack's next to the garage door.

Refilling Sergio's water and food bowls, Emily was secretly pleased when Aaron arrived in time to clean the litter box. They chatted as they readied the house for their absence.

"Penelope will be here in the morning to check on the cat," Emily nodded as she crossed off Sergio on her mental to-do list. "Jess called; Roy's Alzheimer's has worsened. She is putting him into a facility."

"Poor Jess, I'll give her a call while we are waiting for our flight."

Aaron called up the stairs to Spencer to hurry before going outside to ask Jack to come in.

Jack helped Emily loaded all the suitcases and backpacks into the car as Aaron offered to help Spencer tie his shoes.

"They are fine!" Spencer explained, "I tucked in the laces so I can't trip."

"You're going to have to learn, Buddy."

Hoping to avoid another argument about shoelaces, Emily handed out granola bars and ushered everyone into the garage.

With Diana's sanitarium on the way to the airport, Emily made sure they had enough time to visit her since they would be on vacation for a week. With the ups and downs of Diana's illness, they were never sure of her condition until they could see her for themselves but today was a good day.

"We are going to see Anna and go to her graduation," Spencer told his mother.

Diana looked to Emily and Aaron, "I heard she took a job in Maryland."

"Yes, the school district was very impressed with her thesis and her direct work with Spencer and his teachers." Emily said, "She will teach at an elementary school and help update the accelerated programs for the whole district."

Turning back to the boys, Diana asked, "What will you do after Anna's graduation?"

Spencer bounced in his seat, "We are going to a water park and Anna is coming with us."

"They have big water slides and a lazy river," added Jack.

"Momma, I think I want to show Jack our old house when we lived there with Dad."

"I think it is a wonderful idea," Diana reached out and pulled Spencer into her arms. She waited to see if he had more to say about his father but he remained quiet, "I want to hear all about the house. I wonder if the new owners painted it."

Shrugging, Spencer turned to Aaron, "Did they say they made any changes?"

"No, they didn't mention any changes but they said they would be happy to open the house for you."

"Good," Diana hugged Spencer closer, "So, we have Anna's graduation, the water park, and our old house, what will you do next?"

Pulling up a map on his tablet, Spencer explained the next part of the trip, "then we are going drive 200 miles to the Grand Canyon."

"And we are going on a train and stopping in an Old West town with good guys and bad guys," Jack gestured to Spencer, "Show her the pictures! We will get to drink sarsaparilla in a saloon."

Diana indulged the boys as they explained the origin of root beer. She told them a story of her great-grandfather, John Grant, who was a tailor in the old west. Soon the boys were engrossed in their family genealogy project; adding information to the Grant family line. Jess had started the project when she noted her father's memory declining and now they had a large album online tracing the Brooks, Hotchner, Prentiss, Reid, and Grant family lines.

After an hour had passed, Emily told the boys to finish up, "we have to head out now so we can get to the airport on time."

Spencer gave his mother an extra long hug and reminded her that Robert would be visiting her while he was away.

"Don't worry about me, Spencer. You have a great time and I will see you when you get back."

After checking in and going through security, they had about an hour at the gate before they could board the plane. Emily indulged herself in an airport novel while Aaron paced and talking on the phone. The boys sat on the floor by the large windows, watching the planes arriving and departing.

Jack pulled out a Rubik's Cube and a crumpled paper from his backpack. He consulted the paper before manipulating the cube.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked.

"This is a Rubik's Cube. I got it from my math teacher. You have to get all the colors to line up," Jack handed the cube to Spencer, "Here, mix it up."

Spencer mixed up the colors and handed it back to Jack. The older boy pointed to the paper and moved the sides of the cube.

"See, this is an algorithm. That means a set of rules to solve this," he ignored Spencer's eye roll. "I have to make this pattern." With his tongue between his teeth, Jack diligently followed the instructions until he made a cross pattern on the cube, "that's all I know so far."

Taking the paper, Spencer read through the algorithms and asked to try.

Emily looked up from her book several times, checking on the boys. Seeing the look of intense concentration on their faces, she put her book down and pulled out her phone to take a video. As Aaron finished his call, he joined her in the hard plastic seats. Together, they watched their boys try to solve the Rubik's Cube.

Aaron put his arm around her shoulders, careful not to jostle her arm as she held up her phone. She leaned back into him and whispered, "This is what's it's all about, isn't it?"

~~~~~CM~~~~~

That's it! That's all she wrote!

Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and favoriting this story. I truly appreciate it!

I'm on Tumblr if you want to chat, GoodGodHenry.


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